tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12311733639372759842014-10-06T20:14:13.649-07:00Foxydonna on IdolDonna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-73668732794330231532012-05-30T18:29:00.000-07:002012-05-30T18:29:58.401-07:00Phillip Phillips busts into Billboard digital songs chart at No. 2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/tsminteractive.com/files/2012/05/phillip-phillips-wins-american-idol1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/tsminteractive.com/files/2012/05/phillip-phillips-wins-american-idol1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phillip Phillips leaves the stage after emotional 'Idol' win (Mark Davis, Getty Images)</td></tr></tbody></table>Phillip Phillips may be crazy about his 'Idol' coronation song, "Home," but apparently, the music-buying public has different ideas. The single made its debut on the <a href="http://www.billboard.com/#/news/phillip-phillips-makes-idol-history-as-home-1007187752.story?utm_source=most_recent">Billboard digital songs chart</a> at No. 2 after selling 278,000 downloads in its first week. This gives PP the distinction of having the second highest digital first week sales of any Idol except Kelly Clarkson, who's 2009 single "My Life Would Suck Without You" sold 280,000 downloads its first week.<br /><br />"Home" is the highest selling digital coronation song in 'Idol' history and is third overall on the list of single sales. Clay Aiken's "This is the Night" still holds the record with 393,000 single CDs sold in its first week. Ruben Studdard's "Flying Without Wings" is second, selling 286,000 copies its first week in the stores.<br /><br />Here's a list of all the winners' 'Idol' coronation singles (and Clay, of course):<br /><br />1. Clay Aiken, "This Is the Night" (393,000 first-week sales)<br />2. Ruben Studdard, "Flying Without Wings" (286,000)<br />3. Phillip Phillips, "Home" (278,000)<br />4. David Cook, "Time of My Life" (236,000)<br />5. Kelly Clarkson, "A Moment Like This" (236,000)<br />6. Taylor Hicks, "Do I Make You Proud" (228,000)<br />7. Scotty McCreery, "I Love You This Big" (171,000)<br />8. Carrie Underwood, "Inside Your Heaven" (171,000)<br />9. Fantasia, "I Believe" (142,000)<br />10. Kris Allen, "No Boundaries" (134,000)<br /><br />12. Lee DeWyze, "Beautiful Day" (95,000)<br />13. Jordin Sparks, "This is my Now" (74,000)<br /><br /><br />Two other PP singles also debuted on digital songs this week. "We've Got Tonight" sold 43,000 downloads and entered at No. 41 and "Volcano" opened at No. 54 with 35,000 downloads.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br /><br />All this comes after PP was quoted as saying the song wasn't really "him!" <br /><br />"I wanted to do my own stuff, but we only had a certain amount of time to do everything, so I had to do that one, and it's a really good song," <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1685717/american-idol-phillip-phillips-home.jhtml"> he told MTV</a>. "The writers are really good. It's not really something I would write, so I'm excited to get my own stuff out there."<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/Gnp-OPwrMAU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/phillip-phillips-busts-into-billboard.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-87910271005139755352012-05-23T19:18:00.002-07:002012-05-23T19:30:02.698-07:00'American Idol 11' - Phillip or Jessica?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/files/2012/05/idoltwo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/files/2012/05/idoltwo2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This is it. The end of the season, and of course, the crowning of the next American Idol. Two hours of ga-roup numbers, duets, solos, and guest stars, and then, at 10ish, the coronation. Will Phillip Phillips continue the WGWG streak or will Jessica become the first female winner since Jordin Sparks won 'AI3?' I'm team PP all the way. In fact, I picked PP to win in my pool at the Top 13. If he wins, I can finish no lower than fourth. Not that this means much!<br /><br />I really debated as to whether or not to recap this show, but in the end, it’s the last show of the season and I’m watching it anyway!&nbsp; <br /><br />Frenetic opening in black and white. We see the Top 2 as they emerged from the dressing room to hit the stage for the first time. PP meets Scotty McCreery, who tells him he won’t sleep tonight. And we’re off. <br /><br />No Voiceover Man tonight? Instead, the Top 12 minus PP and Jessica, all dressed in white, have their first ga-roup number (“Runaway Baby”).&nbsp; Heejun makes me laugh. Dancers, dressed in black, come out and put the Idols to shame! A female dancer does the jive. The Idols are still be-bopping away on the sidelines. Oh, now they run back while dancers do the jerk. Shannon Migraine looks as though she’s about to burst out of her jeans. You get the picture?&nbsp; <br /><br />Voiceover man brings out the judges, who descend the Adam Lambert Memorial Staircase, flanked by the Idols. Lisa Renna is in the house. Ryan follows wearing a tuxedo and poufy hair.<br /><br />Ryan welcomes us to the show. “Tonight is one of the most anticipated events in television and in just two hours, your next American Idol will be named right here.” He asks for the sign-holders to show their stuff. He tells us a “staggering 132 million votes came in.” Out come PP and Jessica, also dressed in white. <br /><br />Ryan asks if either of them slept. Jessica said she slept a little. PP says he got about nine hours. Oh PP, how we love you. Next up, PP and a “very special guest.” <br /><br />PP is performing with John Fogarty. Of course, they are singing “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” PP holds onto the melody, I mean how can he not. Carrie Underwood is singing along in the audience. PP looks like he’s ecstatic. I sing along! As an aside, John Fogarty’s hair color is pretty unnatural!<br /><br />PP says the next song is one of his faves and it’s an honor to be performing with John Fogarty. PP strums along and lets John take the lead. It’s fun to watch. Now Carrie is dancing! Her husband is with her too. Like an old time reunion up in here. <br /><br />A time-wasting clip showing moments with the judges and the stupid auditions. <br /><br />Joshua is singing “Take Me to the Pilot.”&nbsp; This song will always belong to George Huff for me, but here’s another Louisiana kid taking it to the pilot, or trying to. Joshua intros Fantasia, who now has waist-length, straight hair now and weighs considerably more than she did nine years ago! . Fantasia is out in the audience screeching away. She looks totally out of it. Joshua can’t even compete. It’s a total, red hot mess! He daps Evil Jimmy, hugs ‘Tasia, and they sing over their allotted time limit! George Huff’s version of the song remains unchallenged!<br /><br />The hilarity continues. Clips of Jimmy blowing his lines, over, and over, and over again. <br /><br />Oh gawd, the ladies of the Top 12 sing some disco tunes. Elise’s hair is blonde again. She looks a tad chubby too. Shannon Migraine has a solo. Why is she here again? Skylar tries, but fails. Shannon is really trying to make the most of her time on the stage! This is pretty much unlistenable. Hollie leads us off with “I’m Every Woman.”&nbsp; Chaka Khan enters via our stairway, escorted by a bunch of guys who rip off her cape to reveal her flesh colored cat suit. She’s completely out of tune, but looks fierce. Erica and Shannon Migraine dwarf her! <br /><br />I’m not making this up. Ryan is at the judges’ table while Randy goes crazy over Chaka. Where’s J’Lo? Could there be a performance in the offing? <br /><br />Back from the break, we watch the Ford tribute to the finalists. Of course, PP wasn’t in most of the commercials. Heejun gets a big hand. Last week, there was a special gift for PP’s brother-in-law, Ben somebody-or-other and Jessica’s music mentor Robert.&nbsp; They are both invited to the finale. I thought they were getting cars. They are in the audience, and surprise, surprise, they each get keys to a new Ford Escape. Phillip and Jessica get cars too. Everyone gets a car. Jessica’s mentor is still overcome. I want a car for having to endure all of this. <br /><br />Now we welcome a “global superstar...” Rihanna. It’s big, it’s autotuned, it’s what you’d expect. <br /><br />Skylar is back. OMG who dressed her? She introduces Reba and the two of them sing “Turn on Your Radio.” Skylar was robbed, methinks. She really holds her own with Reba. They are so similar in voice. I love Reba and this is probably the best performance so far on this endless show. <br /><br />Now for a fun peak into Steven Tyler’s house? It’s full of Playboy Bunnys. He has a seal. At least I think it’s a seal. Lots of pictures and memorabilia. Randy is now sitting in the dressing room with the Bunnies. Steven’s sister is making out with some old guy. We see Steven’s organ. Steven has a new fragrance, “eau de Low Tide” (see the skunk). We end this ridiculous interlude with Steven and a monkey on his shoulder. <br /><br />Now, we relive a favorite moment from the season. Jessica is singing “I Will Always Love You.” You should have sung this last night, Jess. <br /><br />Now for the Top 12 guys. Heeeeeejun. They’re singing Neil Diamond. I wonder who the guest singer is going to be? Poor Jermaine (the one that got kicked off). He could have been up there too. Or maybe he’s better off not!&nbsp; I’m still wondering where J’Lo is.&nbsp; Colton singing “I’m a Believer” is not pleasing. Where’s PP?&nbsp; What, no Neil Diamond? Joshua kind of stars in the finale of this. OMG. Guess who’s here? It’s Neil Diamond after all. Q’uelle surpris. Neil actually looks pretty good, but he can’t sing anymore. And he doesn’t seem to know the words. He can do a pointy pose, though. So that’s something. <br /><br />I am so ready for this show to end and we still have at least 55 minutes. <br /><br />Scotty McCreery is in the house. Ryan tells us Adam Lambert’s album is number one on the charts. Now for a fun montage of Randy telling contestants they can sing the phone book. This is followed by the Idols in a choir singing the phone book (song written by Michael Orland). Joshua takes it to church, of course! The others look upon him in disgust. Thank you Michael! Highlight of the night so far!<br /><br />Scotty has a phone book for Randy. Tee hee hee.<br /><br />We are bringing out “one of the hottest women on the charts” (could it be J’Lo?). Of course it is. I need ice cream. I wonder if her boy toy will be featured on this one. I’m not going to comment on any of this. Remember last season during the finale she performed with Marc Anthony. Shortly thereafter, they split. When it’s finally over, Carrie Underwood nods her approval, albeit somewhat unenthusiastically. <br /><br />Lauren Alaina, Taylor Hicks, Ace Young, and Diana DeGarmo are in the house. Ryan calls Ace and Diana up to the stage. Ace’s hair is past his shoulders. He looks like a caveman. OMG he’s going to propose. Ryan has the lights dimmed. Diana clearly had no idea this was coming. "This has always been home to us and I felt that this would be the perfect place to ask a simple question." <br /><br />Then he gets down on one knee and continues, "We have conquered Broadway together. We have created our new music together. We have an amazing group of people around us. And with the help of David Webb jewelry I have a way to make this last forever. Are you ready? I love you to death. You're my best friend. I want to make this last forever and I will do anything in my power to have the most ... amazing life together if you will have me. Diana Nicole DeGarmo, will you marry me?" Diana cries and Ace puts the ring on her finger. They kiss and we have our first official ‘Idol’ engaged couple. <br /><br />Hollie has to follow all this with “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Who will be singing with her? Oh, it’s Jordin Sparks. Her voice sounds shaky, but she looks beautiful. A choir joins them. Hollie outsings Jordin. <br /><br />Thirty minutes to go. It’s pretty sad when the best part of the first 90 minutes is a choir singing the phone book and a marriage proposal!<br /><br />Ryan intros the boys who are honoring Robin Gibb (who performed at the finale two years ago).&nbsp; I can’t even begin to describe how bad this is. The Bee Gees were about harmony, and this group is so out of harmony and tune, it’s insulting. I want to mute the sound, that’s how bad it is. Joshua takes on “To Love Somebody” and once again, saves the dismal ga-roup number. <br /><br />Jessica and Jennifer Holiday sing “And I am Telling You, I’m not Going.” J’Lo is back at the desk. Jennifer starts it off and Jessica blows her entrance. Jennifer doesn’t even look like she’s half trying. Jessy, baby, you’re not going to win this one!!! The song takes lungs and depth. Randy is groovin’ to this. She sort of mocks Jessica!&nbsp; I wonder what Jennifer Hudson is thinking about all this!!!&nbsp; J’Hol gets a standing O from J’Lo and Randy. Now Steven has disappeared.<br /><br />Now for Aerosmith. It’s kind of weird watching Steven perform after watching him sit at a desk all season. Really. Joe Perry’s still got it! Song is a little psychedelic, very old school, but a welcome relief.&nbsp; And, of course they close with “Walk This Way.” That was fun. <br /><br />Seven minutes until ten o’clock. Will the show end on time? <br /><br />Jessica and PP have their final duet (“Up Here Where We Belong”). PP is sitting on a stool and they are singing behind the judges. A choir stands on the Adam Lambert Memorial staircase. A nice moment. <br /><br />Now, for the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Edward Boddington delivers the envelope. He verifies they are the official votes and a world record 132 million votes have been generated. PP says it’s been an honor to sing on the stage. He honors the band, the fans, everyone. Jessica thanks the crew, the fans, everyone. Ryan thanks them for a great season. Kiren dims the lights. “The winner of American Idol Season 11 is... Phillip Phillips!”&nbsp; Heejun runs out and practicalloy tackles him. Scotty McCreery hands a guitar to PP - the traditional passing of the WGWG symbol, if you will. “Congratulations, you did it," says Ryan. <br /><br />WGWG5 sings his single “Home.” Best coronation song ever. PP seems completely unfazed by all of this. Then, suddenly it all hits him and he starts to cry. Oh PP. He keeps playing as the marching band comes by once again, but he is overcome. The confetti falls. PP doesn’t want us to see him cry. He finally gives up when a piece of confetti gets into his mouth. He takes off his guitar, hands it off,&nbsp; and goes to his family.&nbsp; Best moment of the night. <br /><br />As the credits roll, PP hugs the judges and that’s it. End of another season. This could be the last time, kids. But hey, it’s a long time until January! <br /><br />Thanks for reading this and have a great summer. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/ckLiWvTDmBM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-idol-11-phillip-or-jessica.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-20581853571942821912012-05-22T18:08:00.000-07:002012-05-22T18:11:16.366-07:00'American Idol 11' - Phillip and Jessica face off for the title<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Unknown-7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Unknown-7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>Tonight, Phillip Phillips, aka PP, and Jessica Sanchez face off to determine who will be the next American Idol. Cue dramatic music and cheering crowds. The Top 2 will sing three songs each - one they've sung before, another chosen by Simon Fuller, and (drum roll please) their very own individual original tune (aka the Idol Coronation song). Can you stand it?<br /><br />I picked PP to win the whole shebang back at the Top 13, so natch, I'll be rooting for him. He would, of course, become the fifth white guy with guitar (WGWG) to win 'Idol' since David Cook inaugurated this run back in 'Idol 7.' But Jessica certainly has a shot seeing that she's the darling of the Philippines, and has an entire country voting for her. On the other hand, poor PP has wicked bad kidney stones and needs emergency surgery immediately. He's literally risking his life for the chance to win this thing. So who's more deserving? I'll let you decide!<br /><br />Here we go!<br /><br />Here we go! Cold opening showing PP and Jessica on their way to their initial auditions. And, of course, we watch them as they get their golden tickets. PP told the camera he was going to be the next American Idol. Could be.<br /><br />Voiceover Man intros the judges. Tonight, J’Lo is dressed in skin-tight black pants and a sparkly black top. Randy is in pastel. Ryan enters via a shortened version of the Adam Lambert Memorial staircase. We’re live at the Nokia Theatre and 7,000 fans are in the house. Ryan asks the PP fans to holler out. Then he does the same for the Jessica fans. Sounds about even. Out come Jessica and PP. PP is dressed in a wrinkled blue shirt and white tee shirt. Jessica looks pretty in a black and gray gown. Ryan says he told them to take it all in. Jessica says it’s insane and crazy. PP babbles something nonsensical. <br /><br />PP won the coin toss, so Jessica goes first. <br /><br /><b>Round One - Simon Fuller’s choice<br /><br />Jessica Sanchez - “I Have Nothing” </b><br /><br />Good choice for Jessica. She’s using her Jennifer Hudson voice. We’ve heard her do this many times over the season. Her vocals are controlled and she stays right on the notes. She really owns the song. I’ve never heard anyone sing it better... besides the late, great Whitney, of course. Nice job. <br /><br />We’ll hear from the judges at the end of Round One. Ryan lets us know we have four hours to vote tonight. And we go to break. Dare I dream this show is only one hour? I check my cable guide and yes... just an hour. Saints be praised!<br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - “Stand By Me”</b><br /><br />PP is sitting on a stool, guitar in hand. He’s using his Dave Matthews voice. There’s a smile in his voice, if that makes any sense. As usual he contorts the melody (and his face) and the overall effect is a bit harsh. Not sure this actually works. He seems satisfied, however.&nbsp; <br /><br />Ryan reads PP’s phone numbers and then PP departs the stage. <br /><br />Ryan asks the judges how they thought they did. J’Lo says it’s tough because it’s a battle of the opposites. She praises Jessica’s voice and calls PP a modern day crooner. “At the end of the day, America has a tough job... who’s making you feel like picking up the phone and voting.” Randy gives Round 1 to Jessica, as do I.&nbsp; Coming up, the world premiere of Jason Derulo’s Coca-Cola ‘Idol’ single. <br /><br />Back from the break. J’Lo also feels Jessica won Round One. Jason D. will sing “Undefeated.” He starts out sitting down. He is no longer wearing his sparkly neck brace. He plays with a chair and stands on it. His girlfriend Jordin Sparks is singing along with him. Dancers appear, and whirl and twirl around him. Not a lot of imagination in the lyrics. He gets lifted up on the same device they used to “raise Joshua up.” Thrilling. <br /><br />During the break, we are forced to listen to “Undefeated” again in a Coke commercial. <br /><br /><b>Round Two - Contestants’ Fave<br /><br />Jessica - “The Prayer”</b><br /><br />I think she should have gone with “And I Am Telling You...” This song isn’t “big” enough and is not as effective with one singer. She’s scratchy on the glory note too. She seems a bit tentative and there are some slightly off notes. She really needed a moment here and I don’t think she delivered. It was nice, and on any other week, would have been just fine, but this is the finale.<br /><br /><b>Phillip - “Movin’ Out”</b><br /><br />PP’s wearing a black shirt and jeans. Good choice. A bit more energy and a neat arrangement. PP is a lot more comfortable on this one too. It’s classic PP all the way and I’d call cacophonous! Yay PP! You did it that time. <br /><br />Evil Jimmy is clapping and smiling. He knows PP just owned that one! Long after he stops singing, the crowd is still cheering. PP leaves the stage.&nbsp; Ryan asks Steven what he thinks. He says “You don’t always have to be a good egg, hatch or go bad.” He gives the round to Jessica. Randy thinks this round was a dead heat. J’Lo goes with PP. She says this was “authentic Phillip.” <br /><br />I give Round Two to PP. <br /><br /><b>Round Three - ‘Idol’ Coronation Song </b><br /><br />I am breathless with anticipation.&nbsp; <br /><br /><b>Jessica - “Change Nothing” </b><br /><br />Lots of strings and schmaltz. Jessica starts out sitting on the piano, which is white this week. The song is too low for her! It’s a love song about not fitting together or something. No rainbows? No unicorns? Oh man, she goes totally off on the bridge. She’s shouting off-key. Jessica, you just lost it. The song is crap, devoid of soul. I think she knows she blew it too. Terrible. <br /><br />Jessica faces the judges. Randy says he did not love the song, but that she made something more out of it. “I thought the song was just okay.” J’Lo says she thought Jessica sang the song well, but it was a pop ballad and missed the soul in it. “When you go to make your record, you have to be able to say to someone, this is not me... or change songs... everything has to be you.” Steven says he knows how good she can sing and doesn’t feel it was the proper song for her to sing.<br /><br />Wow... Jessica says she agrees with the judges and wanted to do something urban, but chose something else? You blew it girl. Sunk by the crappy coronation song. <br /><br /><b>Phillip - “Home” </b><br /><br />PP is wearing a jacket. Song is just right. Neat arrangement - almost bluegrass. PP is wailing on the guitar and singing the melody.&nbsp; A marching band passes by! I laugh out loud. PP is almost celebratory. It’s awesome! Poignant, emotional, and right on the freakin’ money.<br /><br />The judges stand. Randy is yowling. PP, you just won ‘American Idol.’<br /><br />Randy says he loved the song, PP, the production, the marching band. “Your best performance of the night... reminds me of Mumford and Sons... genious.” J’Lo says it was so different and she couldn’t think of anyone else. “It was just Phillip.”&nbsp; Steven says he heard a little Paul Simon and other ungodlike creatures. “You are the man.”<br /><br />“The rest is in the universe,” Ryan tells us. <br /><br />Round Three to Phillip. Game over. PP will be 'American Idol's' WGWG5. <br /><br />Jessica says PP is an amazing artist. PP says Jessica’s an amazing person and is one of the best singers he’s ever heard. They hug.&nbsp; “Tomorrow night, one of their lives will change forever.” <br /><br />Scotty McCreery (WGWG4) sings us out with “Please Remember Me,” and we look back over the season. And it's a wrap. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/Mlj0M-DGbS4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com1http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-idol-11-phillip-and-jessica.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-10109121961573029152012-05-17T18:08:00.001-07:002012-05-17T18:18:50.156-07:00'American Idol 11' - Who will join Phillip in the Top 3?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://topidolblog.com/wp-content/uploads/phil-phillips-funny-face-american-idol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://topidolblog.com/wp-content/uploads/phil-phillips-funny-face-american-idol.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Perhaps you think I'm a bit premature with the title and all, but really, is there any doubt? I'll be shocked if PP doesn't make the finals. The real horse race tonight is who gets the other spot - Jessica or Joshua? I'm going to say Joshua.<br /><br />This scenario reminds me a lot of Season 5. We had Taylor Hicks, who, once Chris Daughtry was eliminated, was pretty clearly going to the finals. Like Taylor, Phillip has strong support from the key demographics - young girls and middle-aged women. That season, the second spot came down to Katharine McPhee, who like Jessica shone on the big ballads and Elliott Yamin, who brought on the soul just like Joshua.<br /><br />Remember, the results that week were very close and the producers decided it would be lots of fun to pull out white boards to reveal the percentages and who ultimately got the second spot. It was, of course, Katharine McPhee who faced Taylor for the crown. It was never even close. Ultimately, I believe Phillip will win the whole thing handily, no matter who he faces. But tonight, at least, TPTB will play this for all it's worth!<br /><br />&nbsp;Let's see how this all shakes out.<br /><br />Cold opening with Simon and Garfunkel singing “Homeward Bound.” We watch clips of the Top 3 and their triumphant (or semi-triumphant) returns home. “One goes home tonight!”<br /><br />Voiceover Man intros the judges who enter through the audience. J’Lo is wearing a big turquoise skirt and raspberry halter top. Ryan gets the audience pumped up about the finale and pimps the tour. He lets us know that Adam Lambert and Lisa Marie Presley are in the house. <br /><br />The Top 3 perform “Got to Get You Into My Life” complete with full horn section. It’s a jazzy arrangement that suits Joshua and Jessica. PP, not so much! The camera twirls around them. PP seems more hunched over than usual. Stupid song choice. <br /><br />Now for the Ford video. It’s set like a silent movie. As usual, PP is not participating. He hasn’t been in one for weeks. <br /><br />Jessica is nervous and excited. PP says it’s a blessing to be there and whoever makes it through deserves it. Joshua is nervous as well, but says he’ll support whoever makes it. <br /><br />Ryan starts with results. Joshua is first. About his performances, Evil Jimmy says Josh had a good night - not his best. He feels the judges were very generous on the first song. He gave it an eight. On “Imagine,” Jimmy says he believes Joshua is the most exciting showman in the competition. He says Joshua overcompensated with riffs and runs, and it didn’t work. “It was overblown and overemotional... kind of like putting a Ferrari on a racetrack and leaving it in park. As for “No More Drama,” Jimmy thinks he needed a big moment, but there was something missing. He knows it was the song. There wasn’t enough melody. Evil Jimmy feels it was his fault. But he thinks Joshua belongs in the finale 100 percent. <br /><br />Joshua says he listens to everything Jimmy says. Did Joshua earn a spot in the finale? We’ll find out in just a little bit. <br /><br />Stupid bit with J’Lo pimping ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift.’ More pimpage with the Top 4 in the recording studio doing some song for the movie. <br /><br />Lisa Marie Presley performs her new single. She has a very deep voice and sounds like she smokes three packs a day.&nbsp; Very limited range and she hardly moves at all. I never, ever say this, but seriously, I can sing better than her! I guess this is why I didn’t even know she was recording. You didn’t get Daddy’s vocal skills, that’s for sure. Priscilla is in the audience. She looks embalmed. So much for that. <br /><br />Ryan tells us auditions for Season 12 start next month. <br /><br />Jessica is up next. We start with the Mariah song. Evil Jimmy says everyone needs a shock and awe moment. But he doesn’t think this came together enough. As for “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” Jimmy says the judges felt it all came together, but he’s looking for more than that. She’s got it all, but she has to have the most magical moment she’s had so far to win. On “I’ll be There,” Jimmy says he chose the song because her voice reminds him of MJ. What he didn’t think of, was that it’s only two minutes, and forgot the Jermaine part. He thinks she’s worthy of singing on the Grammys. <br /><br />Carole Bayer Sager and Rita WIlson honor Donna Summer. Donna was Carole's friend. Jimmy says everyone in the dance business today owes something to Donna Summer. I’ll miss her too. Sad to see her gone. <br /><br />Adam Lambert sings “Never Close Our Eyes.”&nbsp; Hard to believe it’s been three years since his season. Adam has a new hairdo, a little poufier on the top. He’s a little off-key here and there. There’s his little guitar player. I like the song. And he’s not lip-synching. That’s how it’s done, kiddies! That’s how it’s done. <br /><br />They’ve cleaned up the stage after Adam and now it’s PP’s turn. First, it’s “Beggin.” Springsteen? Really? Jimmy says PP did a great job. He says’ PP’s sound is becoming more and more original and less derivative. On “Disease” (which I loved), Jimmy says what he likes about PP is he’s willing to risk everything. He agrees with the judges. “It was a total snoozefest... not strong enough for this point in the competition.” Finally, “We’ve Got Tonight,” Jimmy says PP won the night with this one, hands down. He thinks it was the best of the entire season. “He hit notes I didn’t believe he could hit... he was flawless... I was genuinely knocked out.” He says he sound like what he saw in the hometown video. “There was a cry in his voice and a depth that I haven’t seen all year from him.”<br /><br />“We’re about to do it.” Ryan asks the judges to set up the stakes. Randy wishes them all the best and says they are the best ever. J’Lo says it’s been such a journey and she feels like losing anyone of them tonight is heartbreaking for her and all of us. She says she’s never felt so connected to them. “It’s a big moment for the show to have three such talented contestants.” Steven says he loves them all because they have he courage to have a dream and it’s beautiful.&nbsp; “Who goes to the finale? Find out live after the break.”<br /><br />Oh boy, here we go. Ryan has the card. “Dim the lights. Here we go you three. After nearly 90 million votes, the first person to compete in the Season 11 finale is... Jessica Sanchez.” She looks shocked. Her family is shocked. “The person going head to head against Jessica is... Phillip Phillips.” Joshua smiles. "Which means we say goodbye to Joshua." I’m sorry Joshua. We watch his funeral video and see all the standing ovations. <br /><br />Joshua sings us out with “It’s a Man’s Man’s World.” Skylar and Hollie go berserk. He hugs J’Lo and doesn’t miss a beat. Then he walks to the audience and brings he mother up on stage. J’Lo is waving her hands around. It's a classy singout from a classy guy, who in my opinion, deserved to be in the finals. But it is what it is. Make way for WGWG5. It's gonna happen!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/5Ddu4AJVQTI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-idol-11-who-will-join-phillip.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-89079263037636791992012-05-16T19:18:00.002-07:002012-05-16T19:18:41.031-07:00'American Idol 11' - Top 3 perform for spot in finals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MB1_6658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MB1_6658.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Well, we've reached the Top 3! I suppose I should write some kind of commentary, but really, I don't have a whole lot to say. Is there any way to stop the Phillip Phillips steamroller? Will he vie for not only the title of American Idol but also WGWG 5?<br /><br />We won't find out until Thursday, but tonight might provide some hints as to how the 'Idol' Powers that Be want this to shake out. Who gets the coveted "pimp" spot? What song did the judges pick for PP? How about Jimmy? I think this will make things a bit more clear.<br /><br />Cold opening - the Top 3 are shown on a giant screen behind Ryan, and then on the stage. “Who will make it to the finale?” <br /><br />Voiceover Man welcomes the judges. J’Lo is wearing a pink pantsuit.Randy is in salmon. Ryan descends the Adam Lambert Memorial staircase. Heejun is in the house! Ryan tells us it’s going to be a huge night tonight and next week, we move to the Nokia Theater for the finale. Note, the final performance show is Tuesday next week. <br /><br />Ryan brings out the Top 3 again. Jessica is wearing a purple gown. PP is in double-gray. The Top 3 will sing three songs each tonight - a judge’s choice, the contestant’s choice, and one picked especially for them by the evil Jimmy. Sink or swim time, folks. <br /><br />Josh has the death spot. <br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - “I’d Rather Be Blind” by Etta James (Randy’s pick)</b><br /><br />Josh is using the old-fashioned mike. Lots of brass. The song gives Josh a lot of room for his vocal gymnastics while at the same time, requiring a lot of restraint. He gets a chance to delve into his lower register before moving into his comfort zone.&nbsp; Josh has a maturity in his vocals that totally belies his age. Good song choice and a solid performance.<br /><br />He gets a standing ovation from the judges - his 15th? Steven says this is another Joshua moment. He thinks it’s surreal to hear someone singing this old song and have the audience respond. J’Lo says they struggled with song choice for him. Modern or not? Randy says Joshua is a classic stylist and this fit like a glove. He hopes Joshua can bring this into modern times. He says R&amp;B needs a lift as it’s ailing. <br /><br />Ryan says this is like watching a sporting event. Joshua says this journey has taken him through a lot of things, and while it’s tough, he thinks about what he wants and doesn’t give up. <br /><br />Interesting, the Kraft ad following Josh’s performance features the same song! Heh!<br /><br />The rest of the Top 12 is in the house. Heejun has a new “do.”<br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez - “Smile” by Mariah Carey (J’Lo’s pick)</b><br /><br />J’Lo says she picked this song so we could hear the tenderness in Jessica’s vocals. Very, very nice. Jessica has a beautiful voice, and while the arrangement is pretty much the original, her voice is nothing like Mariah’s so the feeling of the song is different. She soars on the bridge. Very, very nice. <br /><br />The judges do not stand. Randy says that was beautiful, perfectly the right song (boasts about Mariah), he says it’s one of the best times Mariah’s been performed on TV. J’Lo says it’s a hard song, but Jessica did it in her own way. She loves that Jessica has the kind of control to get through it. Steven says when Jessica sings, people hang on every note. He says she should get used to encores. He says she’ll be the last one standing. Ahhh. <br /><br />Ryan asks if Steven had just made a prediction. He says, “Don’t I always?”&nbsp; Jessica says she always wanted to sing this song, but it’s so hard. <br /><br />Heejun is in the mosh pick with PP! <br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - “Beggin” (Steven’s pick)</b><br /><br />Steven says he picked the song because of the melody. Ohh...PP in the pimp spot. To me, he still sounds like Dave Matthews. The song has more kick to it than some he’s done, and he is singing the melody. I don’t know. Another WGWG winner would not be good for the franchise, but PP has a whole lot more edge to him. He might be able to pull this off. I kinda liked that performance. <br /><br />Steven wonders if we can believe this guy. J’Lo laughs and tries to yell over the crowd. She says PP can’t help but messing with the song. “It was great.” Steven says it’s been beautiful to watch PP unfold. He’s hoping PP will write his own songs and says PP could be a new-age Boss. High praise. Randy likes Steven’s poeticness! Randy says we were just at the PP concert. “You are so in the zone and you have been in the zone... you don’t care what’s going on around you... that was another incredible performance by you.. You are who you are and we love it.”<br /><br />PP says three songs is.. screams interrupt. <br /><br />Round one to PP, although it’s close. Joshua’s being in the death spot worries me. With PP in the pimp spot, it would seem TPTB have given him the edge. <br /><br />Randy isn’t going to pick a clear-cut winner. He says Joshua has a slight edge vocally. J’Lo says PP’s performance really got her. Steven says the way PP crawls into a song and turns it into himself - he’s on the fence. <br /><br /><b>Round Two - Contestant’s Choice</b><br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - Westlake, Louisiana</b><br /><br />Josh says the most memorable thing about being home was selling out the arena. He says it was touching that so many people came out to support him even though they didn’t know him. We see c lip of Joshua on the private jet. He’s nervous on the plane. He puts his shoes on and gets off the plane. Mom and Dad are there to greet him. “Son of a Preacher Man” is playing in the background. <br /><br />He hits the Sheriff’s crawfish blowout. An old white woman says “Welcome home.” He goes to Daddy’s church.&nbsp; Daddy sings “We love you Josh.” An infant is wearing a Team Josh shirt. His little niece gets to ride with him in the parade. Some guy has his name etched into his hair. It’s like Mardi Gras. <br /><br />Even the dogs are excited. A woman with an eye patch takes his picture as he arrives at his high school. The cheerleaders cheer and Josh signs autographs. Then it’s off to the arena, which is packed. Josh sings “It’s a Man’s World” as Mom and Dad stand by watching proudly. Josh is like a superstar. Fireworks close out the day. <br /><br />Joshua is singing “Imagine.” He’s going to take this to church, I can feel it. I just want to listen,. It’s moving, emotional, and original. J’Lo is singing along. He doesn’t oversing, but still manages to bring it up and over. He’s feeling the words and interpreting them for his own meaning. I applaud you Joshua. That was phenomenal. <br /><br />Steven says this was another Thank You God moment. “You are so fine... damn.” J’Lo says it was pulled back and controlled, and a beautiful thing. “We have three different voices and all of them are beautiful in their own way... but the performance quality, the way you dig into the words and meaning, makes you very special.” Randy asks why he picked this song. Josh says he was riding in the car with PP and Jessica, and didn’t know what he was going to sing. This song came on the radio and it had a strong message. Maybe John Lennon was speaking to him! Randy says everything Joshua sings should mean something and be special to him. “Every time you sing people feel what you sing.. brilliant, dude, brilliant.”<br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez - Chula Vista, California</b><br /><br />Jessica says it was weird going home because she was home-schooled and not popular. She gets to ride on a helicopter and they land in the stadium where she first auditioned. Jessica gets into a limo and hits the radio station. Then it’s into an arena where she tells a huge crowd she loves them. Morning comes and she’s back in the limo. She pulls up to the family home and sees her doggies. Her brother is happy to have her home and she tells them she’s going to try an win it for them. <br /><br />Her family rides in the limo and her brothers are with her in the parade. She arrives at the high school, where apparently, she didn’t go? There’s lots of security. Nowhere near as much fun as Joshua’s trip! THe mayor declars it “Jessica Day.” <br /><br />Back in the limo she’s at the U.S.S. Midway where lots of sailors are on hand to cheer her one. She dedicates a song to the service people. She sings “Dance With my Father” to her Daddy. Back into the helicopter and she returns. <br /><br />Jessica is singing “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Kiss up much? Odd choice. Nothing wrong with her vocals, maybe a bit too much melisma, but it’s the song choice. For me, it’s a bit contrived and transparent. This is the best you could come up with? She finishes sharp. Jessica, you just might have blown your lead here. <br /><br />Steven stands up and pats his heart. The other two are sitting firm. Steven says she just took a great song and made it greater. He thanks Diane Warren for writing it for him. J’Lo says this is a big deal for Steven. She says, “That note at the end sent everyone into the heavens.” Randy says she is choosing some tough hills to climb. “This girl is bold...”&nbsp; He says he was waiting on a big moment and she delivered. <br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - Leesburg, Georgia</b><br /><br />Finally, we watch PP’s trip home. I read somewhere this trip brought $500k to the town. Actually PP and Joshua shared a plane, although we don’t see this! PP arrives and is greeted by a fawning TV reporter. People are going crazy. It’s morning. PP goes back to the pawn show.&nbsp; Another crowd of screaming mimis. Good for business! Dad is there to greet him. He’s happy to have his son home so he can put his hands on him. PP Sr. says this is a dream come true. PP gets all choked up. PP sits by the stuffed turkey, them he leaves. Daddy is riding in the limo with him. Mama wants to squeeze him ‘til she can’t no more.” And she does. The family is all gathered. <br /><br />Mom and Dad ride with him in the parade. Pretty girls throw themselves at PP who is all emotional again.&nbsp; <br /><br />At the concert venue it looks like he’s drawn the biggest crowd of the three. PP’s gonna win this thing, you know that, don’t you?&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />PP sings “Disease” by Matchbox 20. And, he’s not wearing gray. Nice arrangement. PP is totally loose. He isn’t making horrible faces either. This is good. No, this is real good. What I like about PP is that he and his guitar are like one. It’s not an affectation, he’s really good.&nbsp; He gives the sax player (female) a little kiss.<br /><br />J’Lo says this wasn’t the Wow performance, which “we are needing and wanting right now.” Steven says he feels the same way. Randy asks the other two if they didn’t love it? They didn’t. Randy says, “Wow, this is weird.” He didn’t like it either because it was subdued and PP could do it in his sleep. Ouch. Where’s the bus? I thought it was perfect for the moment and the mood. So, if you were going to throw him under the bus, why the pimp spot?<br /><br />I’m giving Round Two to Joshua, then PP, then Jessica.&nbsp; <br /><br /><b>Round Three - Evil Jimmy’s Pick</b><br /><br /><b>Joshua - “No More Drama” by Mary J. Blige</b><br /><br />Evil Jimmy says Mary J. brought this number to church at the Grammys and he want Joshua to do the same thing,&nbsp; <br /><br />I don’t like this song for him. It’s too choppy. And, for the first time all season, Joshua is off-key. And his dancing. He rips off his jacket midway through and goes all out. His ear piece falls out. Joshua is going nuts on the stage. The Top 12 are digging it. In the end, he pulls it off, but I'm not sure it wasn’t the moment Evil Jimmy was hoping for. BFF Hollie has her hands in the air. There’s a tall blond with the Top 12 whose name I honestly don’t remember. Also that chubby guy. Jeremy something or other. I guess the guy who got kicked off doesn’t get to come back. Pretty bad when you can’t remember and of their names!<br /><br />Randy says, “At this point, it doesn’t matter what you do, you’ve laid everything on this stage there is to lay.”&nbsp; I immediately think of geese or swans or some feathered creature. Randy says this is what being a great artist is about. “Joshua Ledet has got it Jennifer, what do you think.” J’Lo says it’s magic and feels so natural. Steven says he watched him and felt the last forty years in the music business., “It was over the top.” <br /><br />Josh says he was so nervous performing the song, but believed in himself like Jimmy did. Please, America, keep Joshua. He so deserves to be in the finals. <br /><br />Lisa Marie Presley and Adam Lambert perform tomorrow.<br /><br /><b>Jessica - “I’ll Be There”</b> <b>by the Jackson 5</b><br /><br />Jessica gets the song via text after receiving a new AT&amp;T Beat Box. Jimmy says he wanted to pick something that is young, but will appeal to older audience. Good choice, at least on paper. But, her plunge into her lower register felt a bit too stark. She’s much better in her upper reach. The song isn’t “big” and maybe since we’ve seen her slay so many of the big ones, this felt a bit too simple. Okay, not her best. Evil Jimmy seems pleased, though.<br /><br />Steven says the song reminds us of “Don’t bore us, get to the chorus.” J’Lo says it was a good choice and that she sounded like Michael in the beginning. Randy says he didn’t love it, but liked it okay. He says we’re at the end and there was never a “moment moment.” He would have preferred the Mariah version. Evil Jimmy crosses his legs emphatically. I totally agree with you Randy. <br /><br />Finally....<br /><br /><b>Phillip - “We’ve Got Tonight”</b> <b>by Bob Seger</b><br /><br />PP gets his Beat Box as well. I don’t think anyone knows what it is! Evil Jimmy picked a song to address both guy and girl fans. Also, it has a melody that he thinks PP will hold onto.&nbsp; And here he is, your winner. Dressed in black, bathed in light with just a piano in the background. The piano player looks as though he’s swooning. PP is showing us his vulnerable side. A huge string section bursts through. PP might have missed a lyric or something... there seemed to be too much empty space. The song shows off the roughness of his vocals. He’s not a pretty singer. I preferred his other two songs. <br /><br />The judges stand. The tall blonde Top 12 girl whose name I still don't remember loved it. Randy says this was the perfect song at the perfect time and his best performance ever. “You had a giant moment.” He says PP can sing the melody but chooses to do something else. “This boy right here is in it to win it and he’s ready.” J’Lo says there are 20 million girls who wish he was singing the song to him. Steven says something that’s bleeped out. That PP sang with passion. <br /><br />Round three to Josh by default, although I wasn’t crazy about any of the Evil Jimmy song choices. <br /><br />I’m giving Joshua the win for the night because of “Imagine!" PP is close, though. Loved “Disease." Jessica’s in third place, and I predict she will not make the cut. Joshua so deserves it. But, in the end, it’s moot. I think PP has this thing completely sewn up. <br />&nbsp;<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/UjeXA8t3ftE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com1http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-idol-11-top-3-perform-for-spot.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-8639303908705241322012-05-10T18:07:00.001-07:002012-05-10T18:07:15.761-07:00'American Idol 11' - David Cook, J'Lo perform on Top 4 results show<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/davidcook1_anthem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/davidcook1_anthem.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Cook</td></tr></tbody></table>Season 7 winner, David Cook, performs tonight at four become three on 'American Idol 11.' Judge Jennifer Lopez will also break out the dance gear, performing her newest single. We'll all be on pins and needles waiting to see if the <a href="http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-idol-11-dreaded-top-4.html">Top 4 elimination shocker</a> trend continues! I'm sticking with Hollie!<br /><br />We start off with clips from home visits from Idols past. Always get a little teary when I see Elliott Yamin’s sweet mother in the convertible as part of his parade. But only three will return to their hometowns in triumph, and for one, the dream ends tonight. <br /><br />Our buddy, Voiceover Man intros the judges. Tonight, J’Lo is wearing a short white halter MuMu. Ryan comes out sans tie. He tells us this is the cut every contestant is desperate to survive. He lets us know David Cook is in the house tonight. Ryan pimps the tour. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 11. Everyone in the audience is getting a ticket to a live show. The crowd goes wild. <br /><br />The Top 4 sing “California Dreamin’” - what else, right. The girls make a little arm bridge for Joshua who is wearing a rainbow tee shirt. There are a bunch of girls on the stage clapping along. PP looks particularly pained. Word is, he’s having surgery as soon as the season is over. <br /><br />We go on the set of a Ford video. This week, they’re promoting Ford’s new electric car. Then we get to see the video. PP is not involved. Home sick again. Joshua gets to drive the car, which appears to be an electrified Focus. <br /><br />Now for some results. First up is PP. I have to say, I really enjoyed “Volcano.” Jimmy says about PP’s first song, he’s beginning to hear his voice. “It was just the beginning of a night where he was beginning to find his identity and his voice.” About the second performance, Jimmy says, “PP finally delivered on the promised we’ve been looking for all year... it all came together... if I had seen him in a club, I’d sign him right there.”<br />Jimmy is in the audience looking smug. PP says it’s been a long journey and he feels blessed to be there. He wants to go home for the good part.<br /><br />Dim the lights. “After nearly 70 million votes... the nation has decided... that you will be heading back to the couch to wait for the results.” Boo, they’re not telling now?<br /><br />Hollie is next. About “Faithfully” Jimmy says, “All the things that concern me about Hollie’s singing... actually aided her in this song... but it was in the wrong direction.” Jummy was not as impressed by “I Can Make You Love Me.”&nbsp; He says during rehearsals he wasn’t going to push anyone in any direction. He assumed Hollie understood the core of the song - she didn’t. He thinks she crashed and burned during the chorus, and lost out to the other three. Hollie goes back to the couch to wait it out. <br /><br />David Cook, WGWG 1.0, performs “The Last Song I’ll Write for You.”&nbsp; The song is innocuous enough. I like David Cook, he was the worthy winner his season and has done quite well&nbsp; post-’Idol.’ The song has a good hook. <br /><br />Another ad for ‘The Choice,’ the dating show with spinning chairs. I read today that Taylor Hicks is going to be one of the bachelors.<br /><br />More results. Ryan calls up Joshua. The staging for “You Raise Me Up” was stupid!&nbsp; Jimmy says, “This song works great in high school graduation... it might have worked if he’d kept it simple, but this didn’t work... you can’t use that trick on every song... ‘You Raise Me Up’ let him down.” On “It’s a Man’s World,” Jimmy says James Brown and Joshua Ledet came together and created a piece of magicd that has never been seen on ‘American Idol.’ “It was so captivating, I want to see it again, and again, and again... how do we find an original song as good as that for his album.”&nbsp; Ryan tells Joshua to “hang tight on the couches,” and brings Jessica up for her critique.<br /><br />Jimmy says she did a great job on “Steal Away,” but was impersonating a “great, older jazz singer a good idea? No. After a while the trick gets old, the rabbit gets old.”&nbsp; On “And I Am Telling You,” Jimmy says she brought all her artillary in the right proportions. “Everything she chose was flawless... she murdered it.” He says Tommy Motollo emailed him and wants to go to Jessica’s first concert. He says last year he knew Scotty was going to win the whole thing. This year, he hasn’t a clue. He thinks it all depends on the right song choice and performance. Well, hey, that’s kind of the point, right Jimmy?<br /><br />J’Lo performs her single “Dance Again.” She’s wearing a blue sequinned, low-cut tank bathing suit with black tights and high heels. And she’s lip synching. Lots of men without shirts dance around her and she shimmies and shakes. She solos with one dancer who might just be her boy toy.&nbsp; Album cover pose to end it. She’s totally out of breath as she thanks the audience. The boyfriend fiddles with her hair. “He’s so cute,” she says as she leaves the stage. <br /><br />Back from the break. The Top 4 are on the stage with Ryan. He asks Steven about PP’s evolution. He says we’ve gone from PP not caring, to showing what he’s got and still not caring. He says PP is not just a one and done.” He asks J’Lo about Hollie’s growth. She remembers the first audition like it was yesterday. She says she has always believed in her voice. She knows Hollie’s first song was a moment when she felt comfortable and found herself. J’Lo is very emotional.<br /><br />Randy says when they first saw Joshua they knew he had “mad potential.” He’s so happy Joshua and Hollie came back. He feels they’ve seen some of the best performances ever. Again, he says Josh’s “It’s a Man’s World” was one of the best singing on any singing show. <br /><br />Ryan wonders about Jimmy calling Jessica’s singing a trick. J’Lo says, yeah, right... singing great is a trick! <br /><br />“The first person heading back to their home town for a heroes welcome is a girl who comes from Chula Vista, California...” Jessica. “The next person to head back to their hometown is the pride of Westlake, Louisiana... Josh.”&nbsp; Yay Josh, busted into the Top3... first black male in the Top 3 since Season 2. Joshua FTW!<br /><br />Who else gets a seat on the plane. We find out what happens, after the break. <br /><br />Ryan reminds us of the Top 4 curse. Dim the lights. “After the nationwide vote, the person who takes the last spot in the Top 3 and heads home for a heroes welcome is... Phillip Phillips.”&nbsp; No surprise this year. <br /><br />We watch Hollie’s funeral video. No tears from Hollie. She says being on the show has given her confidence and she believes so much more in herself. Hollie sings us out with “The Climb.” J’Lo is tearful. Josh is solemn. PP looks like he is praying. Hollie goes over to the couches of safety and hugs the Top 3.&nbsp; Hollie bids the judges farewell, and now, Joshua is weeping openly. The judges hug Hollie, Josh wipes his tears, and we are out... on time! <br /><br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/3D4enE9Wyw0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-idol-11-david-cook-jlo-perform.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-17423128299082920582012-05-10T15:26:00.000-07:002012-05-10T15:26:01.190-07:00'American Idol 11' - The dreaded Top 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.sheknows.com/filter/l/gallery/chris_daughtry_eliminated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="http://cdn.sheknows.com/filter/l/gallery/chris_daughtry_eliminated.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Historically, the Top 4 has seen some of the most shocking eliminations in the history of the show. 'Idol' fans will always remember the night Katharine McPhee bested Chris Daughtry in one of the most shocking eliminations ever. There was also the Season 1 shocker when Tamyra Gray was ousted in favor of Nikki McKibbon and Season 2, when we watched as LaToya London ended up going home.<br /><br />Viewers chose Danny Gokey over Allison Iraheta in the Season 8 Top 4 - not quite as shocking, perhaps, but unwarranted, at least in my opinion. And, last year, James Durbin, who seemed a lock for the finals, saw his 'Idol' journey end in the Top 4, shocking many fans.<br /><br />So, what will happen this year? Who's elimination would be considered shocking? I would say anyone but Hollie at this point. Last night, both Joshua and Jessica had standout performances, so either of their eliminations would be unfortunate, but shocking... not really.<br /><br />One note on Joshua. No African-American male has made it past the Top 4 since Season 2 when Reuben Studdard won it all. Michael Lynche was eliminated in the Top 4 on Season 9, and George Huff and Jacob Lusk only made it to Top 5 during their seasons.&nbsp; Joshua's elimination would be the most disappointing for me and would also continue the losing streak for black male artists on the show. In my opinion, Joshua's the one to beat. We'll see how it shakes out.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/gIpcIkucmpY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-idol-11-dreaded-top-4.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-39212667453939236232012-05-09T19:15:00.000-07:002012-05-09T19:40:28.407-07:00'American Idol 11' - California finale dreamin'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MB1_2828_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MB1_2828_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When I copied over the picture this week, I couldn't help but to be amazed that there are only four people in it! I know it's Top 4 week, but it doesn't really compute until you actually see the four remaining finalists. Top 4 is the week anything can happen, so it's going to be an interesting week on 'Idol.'<br /><br />&nbsp;We start off with a memorial to Skylar. “Who will take the lead?” Carrie Underwood is singing “Blown Away” in the background. And yes, I want to be blown away. <br /><br />Voiceover man welcomes the judges. J’Lo is wearing a skin-tight lame dress in varying shades of black, gray, and silver. Randy is wearing a jacket that looks like a big, ole red and white tablecloth. Ah, the sartorial splendor. Out comes Ryan looking dapper. He’s growing his hair out, I see. As usual, the crowd goes wild. Ryan welcomes us to the show and thanks us very much. He reminds us that in just two weeks, the next American Idol will be named. “All of them are hungry for the title, “ he says as the Top 4 comes out to the stage. <br /><br />Tonight’s themes are California Dreaming and songs that inspire the Idols. We will also have a chance to watch each contestant’s journey so far. <br /><br />First up is PP. He never expected to get this far, and is pushing himself to keep going. His brother-in-law did note that “Time of the Seasons” was “rough!” <br /><br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” - CCR</b><br /><br />No guitar for our gray-clad WGWG tonight. He’s using his non-Dave Matthews voice and singing somewhat out of tune. He’s turned it into a reggae-ish number. Love the female sax player. Actually, he’s carrying the melody, for once, but this exposes the roughness in his vocals. He is not a melodic singer, that’s for sure. <br /><br />PP is laughing, as usual. Steven says he’s living proof that the road to success is always under construction. J’Lo says he has a Joe Cocker-ish vocal quality and thinks it was a great way to start the show. Randy says it started out rough and he struggled to find the pitch (boos). But, as soon as PP started to smile, he found his way and it was sensational. “Remember, if you have a good time, we have a good time, so come on man.” <br /><br />PP confesses he “somewhat” nailed the lyrics. He is smiling ironically!&nbsp; Is PP “in it to win it” or he really hoping this torment will end? You gotta wonder, right? <br /><br />Here’s Hollie’s journey. We see her audition last year when she cried. Then she sang “The Climb” and had her moment of clarity. We see her rejection from last year and then her grand return.&nbsp; She says this has changed her life for the best. <br /><br /><b>Hollie Cavanagh - “Faithfully” - Journey</b><br /><br />Kissing up to Randy, eh Hollie? I am still somewhat puzzled as to how she’s lasted this long. There just isn’t anything exciting about Hollie. She has a nice voice, for sure, but dull, dull, dull. <br />This performance is no different. The Celine voice is back. She has a little trouble with the lower notes, and I’m not getting a solid connection to the lyric either, but she sings it well enough. Too much wind!&nbsp; She finishes strong and does seem much more relaxed. As Randy would say, I’m not jumping up and down, but it was good. <br /><br />Randy says Hollie is peaking at the right time. He’s amazed watching Hollie’s history. He says this song is near and dear to his heart and says she did Steven Perry proud. “Dude, you were right in the zone. Hollie wants to take this thing.” J’Lo says watching the journey made her emotional. She says watching how much she has grown and loves the confidence she showed tonight. Steven says he’s watched her last year and she was so young. Now, he’s watch her blossom, and says her creativity is blooming. <br /><br />I’m not ready for Hollie to win. She says a lot of people helped her understand the true meaning of the song and now she knows she’s living the true meaning of it. <br /><br />Before we hear from Joshua, we have a chance to catch up with Jason DeRulo who is working on the Coca-Cola single. Jason is still wearing his bejeweled neck brace. He urges us to submit our lyrics asap. This is our last chance to finish the song. <br /><br />Joshua is next. He tells us he is dedicating his performance tonight to his father who works so hard to help so many.&nbsp; Joshua was turned away last season too. he says he wasn’t ready. We hear once again about how Josh overcame the fear of flying. He says all the hard work he’s put in is paying off. <br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - “You Raise Me Up” - Josh Groban</b><br /><br />Hey, didn’t we just hear this on ‘The Voice?’ Oh... wrong show. I still recovering from Jermaine’s win.&nbsp; Not sure this is a great song choice. It doesn’t fit his voice somehow. But, of course, the gigantic choir helps turn it into a gospel tune, and he immediately hooks into it. I get the emotion. Oh, so strange... the pedestal he’s standing on rises up when he sings “You raise me up.” Come on! <br /><br />J’Lo says “OMG, I think the whole world knows what I think of Joshua already.” She says we have great artists on the show and she thought they would all be there at the end. Really?&nbsp; She loved the “draama” and urges him to keep it consistent until the end. Steven says Josh sang his “little tush” off. “The world is acccepting you now like nobody’s business.” Randy is happy Josh came back. He says if you are a great artist, you can sing anything. “I’m so excited to see what you do... I think you’re an amazing artist with a ginormous career.” Josh’s next song is for his Mom, who is in the house tonight. <br /><br />I’m not really feeling the California spirit in all of this tonight. Am I missing something? <br /><br />Ad for new dating show on Fox with spinning red chairs and celebs picking dates by voice alone. The show is called ‘The Choice!’ Really? <br /><br />Jessica tells us she’s wanted to be on ‘American Idol’ since she was five and performing since she was two. She says she can’t do anything but sing! She says she would have never imagined making it this far. She can’t believe she’s one of the Top 4. <br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez - “Steal Away” - Etta James</b><br /><br />So much for age-appropriate song selection. Why does Jimmy even say this stuff? Jessica is sitting on the piano again to star. At least her outfit doesn’t make her look 45. The thing is, she puts this performance together with a lot of attitude and sass. Of all the OMG she’s only 16-year-olds on this show, she’s the best of the lot. She has vocal maturity far beyond her years and will only get better. Watch out for Jessica. I think she’ll be around for a while, win or lose. <br /><br />J’Lo laughs about Jessica’s childhood growling! She is amazed at some of the things Jessica does. J’Lo says her vocal quality is one of the best. Steven says he loved it. He says it showed another side of her voice. Randy says he loved the vibe of it. He says her vocals are ridiculous, but she can tap into the blues of it. <br /><br />Round one - Jessica, then Joshua, Hollie, and PP. <br /><br />After the break, another PP/Josh duet on Maroon 5‘s “This Love.” Joshua, who is wearing another odd cowl-neck shirt, dances up the stairs to stand on top of the piano. PP, in gray as always, is sitting on the piano. What’s up with all the piano abuse this season?&nbsp; PP has happy feet while he’s sitting down. Oh, now he’s standing up. The choreography is magnificent. They actually sound better together on this one than the mess they sang last week. Joshua ‘s voice is so much better.&nbsp; But they really get into it and seem to be having fun. <br /><br />Steven says everything about this song was “perfect” and congratulates Nigel on the song choice. J’Lo says it was funny because they are both so different. It was like “Adam Levine and Usher” coming together. Randy says they had fun with it and that it sounded amazing. he says “here” in some odd kind of southern accent. <br /><br />Ryan asks if they were more comfortable during this one. Josh says he laughed all the way through it. <br /><br />Hollie and Jessica are singing the Bangles’ “Eternal Flame.” They are both on fabric swings. Yes, you read that right. Both of their vocals are somewhat shaky individually, and the harmonies are harsh. Their voices don’t blend. Jessica is singing too low or something. Neither seems all that serious about it. Like, here you go, sing this and get it over with. <br /><br />Randy says it was strange for him (boos). Josh and PP are in the background on the swings! Randy says it was weird and he didn’t like it. J’Lo says she’s always loved the song. Both of them have sweetness and power. Steven says “Four months in LA and you turn into our favorite swingers.” Josh and PP (Jillup) are still on the swings. <br /><br />This week, the Idols were treated to a sneak preview of the new movie, ‘Rock of Ages’ (without Constantine)! The director gets a tour of the mansion. He kisses a picture of J’Lo.&nbsp; They all watch a sneak peak of the movie... not the movie, I guess, and we, of course get to see it as well. Tom Cruise as the rock legend? Ryan’s girlfriend Julianne Hough is in it as well.&nbsp; I don’t think I’ll be going to see this one!<br /><br />That killed off a few minutes. After the cJulianne Houghlip, Ryan has the producer and Julianne stand up. <br /><br />The Top 4 sing Foreigner’s “I’ve Been Waiting.”&nbsp; I can’t get over Josh’s shirt. PP looks ill. They are sure working these kids like mules this season. Two solos, a duet, and a ga-roup number, all in one night. Wow. <br /><br />Ryan talks with PP and asks him how he’s feeling. PP says he looks forward to going home and jamming with his buds. <br /><br /><b>Round Two - Songs I Wish I’d Written<br /><br />Philip - “Volcano” - Damien Rice</b><br /><br />Jimmy compares PP to a butterfly as he’s seen him becoming more like himself. Jimmy says this song sends a message that PP can record a song and not sound like anyone else. He says PP's voice is in a different place this week. "I think it's exactly what you need right now," he says. "He was sounding like another artist, until today."&nbsp; PP’s got the guitar out again and is accompanied by a cello. He’s using his DM voice again. I don’t know what Jimmy is talking about. I like the harmonies with the background singer.&nbsp; As he moves through this song, he really does seem to find his own footing, though. This is a beautiful song, very haunting and dark. This is PP’s best performance ever, in my humble opinion. Really, really good. <br /><br />Steven agrees with Jimmy. He says he just sang like he really dug the way he sung! He says he could listen to this song over and over. J’Lo says very few people could have pulled this off on a karaoke show. She says this was one of the most beautiful performances she’s ever heard on the show. Randy says, “So yo, this is what it’s all about.” He says that was one of PP’s best performance on the whole season. “Sometimes a little simple statement has more volume to it.”<br /><br />And that may well have gotten PP into the Top 3. <br /><br /><b>Hollie - “I Can’t Make You Love You” </b><br /><br />Jimmy says you can’t get a girl with more soul or feel than Bonnie Raitt. He urges Hollie not to oversing.&nbsp; He says if Hollie’s in the song, she can do great. I will always remember Kimberley Locke’s fabulous performance of this song. It was the song that pushed her up to contender status. Can it do the same for Hollie?&nbsp; She does resist the urge to oversing, at least at first, but I don’t think she quite has the vulnerability in there. Pretty, but not really original. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Steven says "It's not so much how you sing that song, it's how you say the words. It felt a little short as far as the dynamic range. ... Sorry, baby.". J’Lo says "You're trying to make America love you. That's a hook, that's a way into a song. ... It doesn't have to be so literal.". She thinks Hollie should have been singing it to us. She says there was too much vibrato.&nbsp; "You need moments," Randy says. "This was a great song, but you're a different kind of singer than Bonnie Raitt. It gave you nowhere to go. There were no moments. To me, it was the wrong choice at the wrong time."<br /><br />Hollie says she loves the song and was feeling it.&nbsp; Joshua’s doing James Brown - heh!<br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - “It’s a Man’s World” - James Brown</b><br /><br />Jimmy says he’s seen James Brown in the recording studio. He tells Josh that after every take, a guy would come in and comb his hair! Jimmy says this James Brown song, Joshua really kills.&nbsp; A parade of women come out playing violins as Joshua descends the Adam Lambert Memorial Staircase. The entire horn section is female.&nbsp; Josh has got a little swagger on this one. Seriously? Kid is tearing this up. Tearing. It. Up. He’s able to control the intensity and reel it all back it when he needs to and then let it all loose again. Remarkable. So much depth there.&nbsp; This is one of the most incredible performances I’ve ever seen on this show, and I have seen almost every performance in ten, now eleven season. This was Joshua’s “moment." <br /><br />The judges stand. J’Lo is bowing. Steven says, “Neither man nor woman has ever sung that good with so much compassion on this show ever. I can go home right now. I’ve never heard anything like that in my life.” J’Lo says we may have thought we had seen everything he had, but we hadn’t. She speaks in Spanish. Randy says this was one of the best performance in the history of any show. “If you want to know what singing is really about... please watch Joshua Ledet. He’s sending everyone to school.” <br /><br />J’Lo says she didn’t really understand what “taking to church meant.” Now she does. Josh’s mom is ecstatic. Ryan wonders where the transformation comes from... because it is a transformation. If ‘American Idol’ really were a true singing competition, Joshua just won it. But it isn’t. So we must wait. <br /><br /><b>Jessica - “And I am Telling You” - Jennifer Holiday</b><br /><br />Jimmy says he was disappointed with “Proud Mary” last week, but when Jessica is challenged, she comes back strong. "If the audience sees and the judges see what I saw, it could be game over," Jimmy says. Jessica says she’s not going anywhere! I can’t help compare this to Jennifer Hudson. J’Hud has more depth to her voice, and of course, she didn’t have to do it in 90 seconds.&nbsp; It is indeed Jessica’s moment&nbsp; Whoa...&nbsp; another moment. <br /><br />"Another winning performance, just over the top," Steven says. "Tell me how you really feel." J’Lo says it’s going to be a race to the finish. She says there’s nothing left to say. Jessica is crying. J’Lo says Jessica let out so much stuff and standing still like that rips your soul apart. Randy says he doesn’t know what’s going on tonight show it that she, Joshua, and PP are really in it to win it. He says it’s a hard song to sing. He doesn’t know where she gets the strength to sing from that place. <br /><br />Julian Lennon is in the house. He salutes Jessica. <br /><br />Round two - Joshua, Jessica, PP and Hollie. <br /><br />Top 3 - Joshua, Jessica, PP - Hollie will go home tomorrow. <br /><br />David Cook and J’Lo perform and we find out who gets to make the triumphant trip home. <br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/DBVNGJYkNQ0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-idol-11-california-finale.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-3962669727400903922012-05-03T18:38:00.000-07:002012-05-03T18:38:03.940-07:00'American Idol 11' - Carrie Underwood and Coldplay on Top 5 results show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ne8uJrqxejc/S2IaulIX7NI/AAAAAAAAIgA/krbFNB5eH_U/s400/104168-carrie_underwood_617_409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ne8uJrqxejc/S2IaulIX7NI/AAAAAAAAIgA/krbFNB5eH_U/s400/104168-carrie_underwood_617_409.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Carrie Underwood returns to the place it all began tonight as our Top 5 become the Top 4. Coldplay will also perform on the show. Last night, I was thinking Hollie would be the one to go, but I'm beginning to think this could be Phillip's last night. Would that be a shocker? Nope. After his butchering of "The Letter" and straight-up strange rendition of "Time of the Season," all bets are off.<br /><br />Cold opening shows the Idols at a photo shoot. More inspiring words on the screen. I shall not transcribe them. Little vignettes from last night. PP says they all have their time limits so he’s gonna enjoy it while he has it. Good strategy, PP. <br /><br />Our friend Mr. Voiceover Man brings out the judges. Tonight, J’Lo is wearing a silver lame blouse and black pants that are so tight they look painful. Another fashion hit for our J’Lo. Ryan welcomes us to the show as the crowd goes wild. We’re inching closer to the final four, yeah, we know. <br /><br />We’re doing results one by one, it would seem. Joshua is first. Jimmy says Josh’s performances are going to be tough to beat. He says the sky opened when Josh sang “To Love Somebody.” He’s still amazed that Josh could learn the song in 15 minutes and do what he did to it. Imagine Randy Jackson becoming a jockey and winning the Kentucky Derby!<br /><br />Ryan asks Joshua about what kind of album he’d make. He tells him he wants something with a message that will touch people. The lights dim. Joshua laughs a little. And, he’s on to the Top 4. <br /><br />Ford video sans PP again. They must be giving him the day off to recuperate on video shoot days. Ryan intros Coldplay singing “Paradise.” All their stuff sounds the same to me? <br /><br />Back from the break for more results. Ryan calls Hollie and PP to the center of the stage. PP says he is nervous. You should be. We start with Hollie. I still don’t think she was all that. Jimmy says this is a critical week for Hollie. He thinks she pulled off the first song because she approached it like a pop girl. He says it was her most believable. He didn’t love “Bleeding Love” and says she was neutral. But, he thinks she’s safe. <br /><br />Ryan asks Hollie where this boost of confidence came from. She says it was time to step it up.<br /><br />Now for Phillip. He’s going to the bottom three or two or whatever tonight... you watch. That second song was horrendous. Jimmy commends PP for carrying on in the face of his illness. He says both songs were bland. Based on performances alone, PP is a goner, at least according to Jimmy. “After the nationwide vote, Hollie, unfortunately, you’re in the bottom two tonight.” PP is safe. Wow. Jessica looks verklempt. <br /><br />Time for Carrie. Randy is blowing her kisses before she starts singing. She’s singing “Blown Away,” the title track from her new album. It’s a little different for her. Wish they’d tone down the dry ice machine. At times it seems to overtake her. And the wind machine looks like it’s up too high and bothering her eyes. Interesting to hear her sing a little more in her lower register. Not crazy about the song, but she is certainly amazing. <br /><br />Ryan and Carrie chat a bit. She plugs her tour, they hug, and that’s that.<br /><br />Okay, let’s get on with results. Skylar and Jessica hit center stage. We start with Skylar. Jimmy says every now and then you run into an artist who’s polite, but on the inside, they’re saying I’m gonna win. He doesn’t think she understood the lyric on “Fortunate Son.” He’s not a keen on the second song and mocks the people on the bench and the moon. He says she’s going to have to find that “crushing song” that wins the night in order to get to the finale. She thinks she needs to choose a bigger ballad. <br /><br />Recap of Jessica and Randy’s “just okay” on “Proud Mary.” Jimmy says “You Are so Beautiful” was magnificent. He takes issue on “Proud Mary.” He feels she’s the best singer in the competition, but that song was a travesty. He wishes they’d talked her out of it. He criticizes her dress as being too old for her, and says the stylist torpedoed the song. He thinks this is going to hurt her. J’Lo says mid-America mihgt think her outfit was too much. <br /><br />“After the nationwide vote, Jessica, I can tell you, you are one step closer to the finale. You are safe.” Skylar joins Hollie on the stools of shame. <br /><br />Back from the break, J’Lo is standing with Ryan showing off her assets! She intros Coldplay. <br /><br />Coldplay finishes in a hail of confetti all over Skylar and Hollie who are already in place waiting for their results. Not quite the confetti shower you were imagining, right girls? One of them is gone - which one? Hollie or Skylar. Skylar would be more of a shocker and Hollie’s been a rather permanent member of the bottom 3. Should have stuck with my original prediction, but I’m a sucker for those shockers. <br /><br />Okay, back from the break. The girls are holding hands. Ryan asks Randy for his reaction. He says he’s sad because this is the best Top 5 evah. Joshua has his head in his hands. J’Lo says so many people have come up to her and tell her how much they enjoyed Wednesday’s show. Steven says they are all so great and the Top 5 has never been better. <br /><br />Dim the lights. “Nearly 60 million votes have decided that the person who is going home tonight is Skylar.” Wow. Didn’t see that one coming. The judges stand as Hollie and Skylar embrace. J’Lo looks like she’s ready to cry. No worries Skylar, you’re going to be just fine. She smiles all the way through her funeral video. <br /><br />Hollie is crying, of course. Skylar sings us out with “Gunpowder and Lead.”&nbsp; J’Lo is wiping tears. So PP survives and Skylar is gone. I’m betting that will cause some massive consternation amongst the ‘Idol’ faithful.&nbsp;<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/B4owZ9SkQuw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-idol-11-carrie-underwood-and.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-88488688472762645552012-05-02T19:04:00.000-07:002012-05-02T19:04:15.398-07:00'American Idol 11' - British week and 1960s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2012/05/01/IDOL-TOP-5_320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2012/05/01/IDOL-TOP-5_320.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We've got a jam-packed two hours this week with songs from the 60s and something British. Plus, there will be a duet and a trio. Wow.<br /><br />Cold opening rehashes Elise’s elimination from last week. “Their dreams are hanging by a thread... in the eye of a storm. Who will change the weather? On this stage, there is nowhere to hide.” I will take this and consider the implications. <br /><br />Voiceover Man brings out the judges. J’Lo is wearing a red sheath with some kind of white cloth in the V of the neck. Where does she get these clothes. Out comes Ryan looking so much better than he did last week. All spiffed up and ready to run this two-hour spectacle. <br /><br />Ryan tells us the stress of the competition reaches a fever pitch tonight, and out come the Top 5. “One of these people is your next American Idol,” he tells us. This week, Jimmy has brought in Steven Van Zandt to mentor. Bruce tells us Steven is a garage guy and likes thinkgs dirtier. I love SVZ. Love him. He and Jimmy are old friends, so he agreed to sit in for a couple of hours to check things out. <br /><br />Did I say I love SVZ.<br /><br /><b>Round One - The Sixties<br /><br />Hollie Cavanagh - “River Deep, Mountain High"</b><br /><br />SVZ tells Hollie she needs to act like she doesn’t care what people think. Jimmy says if she hits the stage and acts like she has to entertain, she’s dead. Hollie enters through the audience followed by a cadre of singers and horns. This song is completely wrong for Hollie. She doesn’t have the maturity or sass to pull it off. Her vocals are flat, and the whole thing is pretty mundane. I can’t believe she’s still in this thing. <br /><br />Steven Tyler says this is the first time he’s heard Hollie step out and use her blues. He thanks the Lord. J’Lo says it was nice to see her surrounded by a the song. “It was a different type of Hollie, tonight, I could feel you.” Randy asks if Steven and J’Lo loved it, then says he loved it too. He says Hollie needs to sing it like no one is watching. “Very nice.” <br /><br />I just shake my head in wonderment. Yeah, but she’s in the death spot tonight. Methinks she’s doomed. <br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - “The Letter”</b><br /><br />SVZ busts Jimmy’s chops about PP’s style. He wants him to leave him alone. SVZ just laughs. Same old PP arrangement, faces, hunch, and gray tee shirt. Lots of horns on this one. He’s changed the melody completely. Nothing new or unusual here. He does what he does once again. <br />The judges seem to be chatting as the audience goes wild. Randy says he likes when someone comes out and made it his own, vibed it up, whatever, and made it new in his own jam-bandy sort of way. He loves it. J’Lo doesn’t know the original song, so she didn’t know how to compare it. She said the song lacked melody, but she wants to get up on her feet when he sings. It’s compelling. Steven says the bad news is that he missed the melody, but the good news is PP gets away with it. He says PP waves his freak flag really well. “At least he strives to be original,” says Randy. <br /><br />PP’s girlfriend is in the house. I guess that’s in response to all the hoo-ha about Ryan’s girlfriend.<br /><br /><b>Skylar Laine - “Fortunate Son”</b><br /><br />This was not her first choice, but turns out to be a good one. It’s a little too fast, I think it would have worked better if she’s stuck to the original tempo. She would not have had to shout quite as much. She’s having a little problem with her breathe too. That being said, it’s another solid performance for this girl, who could end up the last girl standing. <br /><br />J’Lo asks how she’s feeling. Skylar is out of breath. She says Skylar attacks every song and it is natural for her. She says Skylar is fearless and that’s what it takes. Steven loves it when she boot scoots. He loved it. What doesn’t he love. Randy salutes CCR and says they would all be proud. He says Skylar was born to be on the stage. He asks if she loves to do this and Skylar answers, “Yes sir.”<br /><br />Joshua and PP sing “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.” Before they start, there’s a moment of merriment with Ryan. PP starts it out on one side of the stage and then Josh joins in from a stool center stage. PP joins him on the other stool and they croon on. There is zero harmony. But, what’s interesting is that when PP sings it straight, he sounds completely different. Joshua kicks it in midway through and pretty much blows PP off the stage. They laugh like goons when it’s over. <br /><br />Steven says, “Hey,you guys, you need to embrace each other up there!” PP puts his arm around Josh. Steven says he needed to hear that. “It was back when a song was a song... I think it was perfect... match made in heaven.”&nbsp; J’Lo says they were scared to sing that song together. “When you started letting go, you saw what happened.” PP is still laughing. Randy says, once they let go, it came alive. “Yo, you delivered it...ya’ll can sing anything if you do who you are.” <br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez - “Proud Mary”</b><br /><br />SVZ says growing up in bar bands they all had to play this and they all hate it. SVZ wants to talk her about it, but when he hears her sing it, he changes his mind. A couple of key changes, and voila. I thought Jimmy was going to try and steer her towards more youthful tunes. Jessica’s dress is so short, she’d better watch it. She puts everything into this, and while she’s no Tina Turner, it’s not half bad. Great vocals, fairly good stage work, good performance. <br /><br />J’Lo starts out. She says Jessica’s so grown up and she forgets that Jessica is OMG only 16. She says she loves seeing Jessica move. She likes seeing her throw her hair around. Steven says she did it again and is hearing the blues and the stretch out. Randy says the performance was barely okay because she took on the “biggest dragon of the night.” He says it didn’t sit with him. J’Lo says you can’t compare a 16-year old to Tina Turner. They argue. Randy says he could understand why SVZ said they were going to talk her out of it. <br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”</b><br /><br />Jimmy and SVZ dance along. SVZ says Jimmy better sign Josh.&nbsp; He’s got the moves and the vocals down on this one, that’s for sure. There’s nothing about this to criticize. This kid is a natural. Don’t know how they’ll channel him after ‘Idol,’ but he sure knows how to play this game. Another great performance from Josh. Stand, judges, stand. <br /><br />But they do not. <br /><br />Steven says Josh has to be one of the top two best Idols of all times! “You sing so fine... you’re such a talent... it was great.” J’Lo says he’s like a throw-back from another era and enjoys him every time he gets up there. Randy says Josh is like Terrence Trent D’Arby and could bring back R&amp;B. He loves Josh’s jacket (pinstripe sleeve on black serge) and flower (daffodil, which Ryan prompts him to give to a girl).<br /><br />Randy gives round one to Hollie, Skylar, and Joshua. J’Lo to Hollie and Joshua. Steven to Josh and Hollie.&nbsp; Me - Joshua.<br /><br /><b>Round Two - British hits (please, no Adele)<br /><br />Hollie - “Bleeding Love” - Leona Lewis</b><br /><br />SVZ tells her to keep it intimate and sing to one person. Jimmy says her voice is a powerful instrument. She starts out singing sitting on the Colton Dixon memorial red piano. This song is so sappy, but it is right in her comfort zone. She doesn’t hit the notes Leona does, thus, a bit of a melody change, but it’s not terrible. She does have a nice voice, and again, I am reminded of Celine. She finishes strong. <br /><br />Steven loved, loved, loved it. He doesn’t know the song! He loves everything. J’Lo says SVZ gave her some good advice. She felt like Hollie might have surprised herself. “That was amazing.” Randy educates Steven as to the song. He says Hollie is two for two tonight, and for the record... J’Lo says she belongs here. “For real, you’re peaking at the right time. Stay right in there.” <br /><br /><b>Phillip - “Time of the Season”</b><br /><br />SVZ thinks PP singing the melody might scare people. Jimmy and SVZ are in agreement on this one. PP gets the swirling tie-dye background. Again, as in the duet, he’s singing in a different voice. Still with the faces, of course, and probably the same gray tee shirt! He’s pretty much out of tune throughout. You’d better go back to your Dave Matthews voice, PP. Or maybe this is his ploy? If he tried to sing terribly, he succeeded. <br /><br />Randy says this was relaxed and subdued. He says they were talking about how PP can sing the melody.&nbsp; He would have liked to hear more of PP’s guitar. So would have PP. J’Lo babbles on. Steven says he’s glad he chose the song and sing the melody. “You sang it well, you sang it very well, so good for you.” <br /><br />Again, really? It was pretty bad. <br /><br />Jessica, Hollie, and Skylar are singing “Higher.”&nbsp; Before they sing, the girls mimic each other. Have I said how much I despise these two-hour shows?&nbsp; They’re all wearing the dresses they wore for their first songs. Jessica carries the song, but flubs a lyric. Nice pointy pose and group hug to end it. <br /><br />So sick of Steven Tyler. He says they sang the hell out of it. J’Lo says seeing the three of them side by side is a treat. She thinks it was cute.&nbsp; “You’re like three little dolls.” Randy thinks the arrangement was weird. He pimps Jackie Wilson. “Very nice job.” <br /><br /><b>Skylar - “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”</b><br /><br />SVZ seems to be tiring of all this. Hilarity ensues. SVZ tells Skylar Dusty Springfield had country roots. Skylar has a street lamp and park bench set. The song works as a country tune and Skylar makes the best of it. Not crazy about the tone of her voice, but she sells it. Skylar is this season’s Kellie Pickler and is going to have a similar career. <br /><br />Randy says Skylar is also peaking at the right time. He believes her. He says she’s starting to tell the stories even more. He does wonder about the people who were sitting on the bench and what were they talking about! J’Lo asks Skylar if she wants to win. “You just might... you’re winning over the heart of America.” She points out that Skylar ran off the stage after the duet. Randy still wants to know how those people got in there. Steven says it’s more proof that it works when you work it. Steven gives us some British invasion history and says Skylar brought the song into the 21st century. <br /><br /><b>Jessica - “You Are So Beautiful”</b><br /><br />Jimmy is concerned this is going to sound loungey or Muzak. I think she’s lounging on the floor but it’s hard to tell with all the strange lighting. Thing is, the simplicity of the arrangement allows her beautiful voice to take front and center. And it is beautiful.&nbsp; It’s a perfect performance. So perfect the judges don’t even start clapping for a moment. Jessica appears to be overcome. <br /><br />Steven says, “You once again showed America just how beautiful your voice is... you’re going to be number one, girl.” J’Lo says this is why they couldn’t let her go home. She loves what she did at the end. Randy says round one he was saying, whatever, but round two, “This girls is at the top of the leader board.” He says she is so pro.<br /><br />Ryan fetches Jessica’s shoes. Randy wonders if he is going to put them on. Ryan says, “That would be everybody’s wish!”<br /><br /><b>Joshua - “To Love Somebody”</b><br /><br />Josh wanted to sing Tom Jones, but Jimmy and SVZ don’t like the idea. SVZ is amazed that Joshua can take a song he’s never heard before and sing it so well 15 minutes later.&nbsp; Watch now! Not sure this was the best choice, but at this point, he can pretty much do no wrong. Joshua has not had one bad performance through the entire run. Not gonna say the same about his cowl neck shirt, though. But, if that’s the only thing I have negative to say... well. Joshua tears this up and puts it away. All right. <br /><br />The judges stand! Randy is shouting. I am astonished. Randy says, “Crazy good. How did you do that?” He is totally blown away. We honor Robin Gibb. Randy says the Bee Gees are the greatest songwriters in the world. He says that Josh could take something he’d never heard and do what he did with it. “You have to be born, America, to do that. I’ve been doing this 11 years and you are one of the best singers ever on this show. Nobody could do that better.” J’Lo says there are so few people who can deliver like that. She says he’s one off the best singers she’s seen in fifty years - comparing him to the best. “Jimmy, you better not mess this up.” Steven says Josh is such a great artist. “That would have been a hit record right there.” <br /><br />Josh’s mother is wiping away tears. What are we seeing here?<br /><br />Round Two - Josh, hands down.<br /><br />Once again, Josh takes the night for me. In fact, he takes the season for me. I want him to win. I am ‘Idol’ weary, but Joshua Ledet is giving me a reason to watch. As for the rest, I’m going Skylar, Hollie, Jessica, and PP. Bottom? Hollie and PP. Hollie is going home. <br /><br />Carrie Underwood and Coldplay tomorrow night. Be there. <br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/qJ67-6W2dSo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com1http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-idol-11-british-week-and-1960s.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-13186468912579041442012-04-25T19:19:00.001-07:002012-04-25T19:21:30.566-07:00'American Idol 11' - Top 6 perform Queen and personal favorite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/MB1_5493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/MB1_5493.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Cold opening - Ryan in the dark reminding us that there have been two shocking results in the past month, and imploring us to vote, vote, vote. The Top 6 join him looking severe.<br />Voiceover Man brings out the judges who come in through the audience. J’Lo looks like she’s wrapped in gold lame. Ryan reminds us again of Colton’s departure.<br /><br />Video package on Queen. Oh Freddy, how we miss you. Huge crowds at their concerts. Sadly, Freddy passed in 1991.<br /><br />&nbsp;This week, Brian and Roger sat down with the Top 6. Joshua looks like he has no idea who they are! PP wonders how other singers can do Freddy’s songs. “Be human... keep faith in yourself... keep going.” ‘Idol’ hasn’t opened up the Queen songbook since season 5. Oh boy, a ga-roop number to start the show. They’re singing a medley of tunes, including “Fat Bottom Girl,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “We Will Rock You,” and finishing up with “We Are the Champions.” Tears come to my eyes as I remember what used to be and is no more. Spin Freddy, spin!<br /><br /><b>Round One - Queen</b><br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez - “Bohemian Rhapsody”</b><br />This starts out in black and white. She’s too melodic in the beginning and get screechy in the middle. She has a pretty voice, but I don’t think this was the right song for her tonight. Rather dull, all in all. And, Jessica’s in the death spot, which is never good.<br /><br />Steven says Freddy would be proud, but points out rock isn’t her forte. J’Lo says she sounded beautiful singing the song, but when she went into the rock part of the song, she didn’t really rock out enough. Randy says he loved it because she sang no runs and used restraint. He says she needs to channel a little Tina Turner if she’s going to rock.<br /><br />Because we had the Queen medley and visit from Brian and Roger took up fifteen minutes, this week, it doesn’t look like we’ll be having any moments with Jimmy before the performances.<br /><br /><b>Skylar Laine - “The Show Must Go On”</b><br />Skylar sings this rather uncountry-like, if that makes sense. She proves that she can sing something other than a country ditty and uses her “big voice.” She really connects with the lyrics and puts everything she’s got into it. Surprisingly good.<br /><br />Steven says that was over the top. He says she put a shine on her voice and says it was fabulous. J’Lo has goosies. The word that comes to her mind is really articulating every part of the story. “It was powerful.” Randy says that was incredible and calls it one of her best performances ever. “Ryan, this girl right here... she’s gotta have it, dude.”<br /><br />Ryan says this is the point in the competition where we can start counting down to the finish line. Randy thinks she could make it.<br /><br /><b>Joshua - “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”</b><br />Another song Fantasia sang! He’s using a little hand mike, which is kind of cool. I love this. Joshua has a real old-school vibe, and this song feels like something from the 1940s. His vocal gymnastics are outstanding and he totally nails it.<br /><br />Standing ovation from the judges. Randy says that was unbelievable, and gives him four checks for all the elements. He reminds Randy of Sam Cooke and the old dudes. Little Steven is in the house. J’Lo loves all the singers, but Joshua’s part of the show is her favorite. She always knows she’s going to get a great vocal and it’s a surprise every time. Steven says Joshua has a classic style that sounds like no one else,. “Freddy would have loved the way you did the two-step.”<br /><br /><b>Elise Testone - “I Want it All”</b><br />Elise is working a tambourine. I would have preferred her singing more “rockin,” but her vocals and energy work just fine. J’Lo is diggin’ it. Elise has such great texture to her voice and really tears this up. I love the way she enunciates her words and her phrasing on this.<br /><br />Steven says she’s found her stride and really enjoyed it. J’Lo says this was Elise in her element. Randy is amazed at how great the night is. He thinks this was one of her best performances to date. Elise says she’s learned this is her wheelhouse and wanted to own it and sing with conviction.<br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - “Fat Bottomed Girls”</b><br />No guitar tonight, which gives us a chance to watch PP move. And move he does, or perhaps a better word is lurches! The singing is the same as always. PP has his style and he’s sticking to it. And why not? It’s worked so far. Randy and J’Lo aren’t clapping, they’re talking.<br /><br />Steven says, “The bigger the cushion, the bigger the cushion.” He loves watching PP sing and run out of breath. Brilliant comments. J’Lo loves that PP gives them different flavors and this week, did not remind her of Dave Matthews. Randy isn’t jumping up and down. It wasn’t OMG! No, it wasn’t.<br />Ryan says he never seen Randy jump up and down.<br /><br /><b>Hollie Cavanaugh - “Save Me”</b><br />Bring on the Celine Dion voice again. Actually, this is probably Hollie’s best performance ever. She has a really nice tone and this song is in a great key for her. Very nice.<br /><br />Steven says he loves the way she sings a Queen song and thinks she did a great job with it. J’Lo says she felt Hollie get emotional in the middle, but she wants to see her enjoy it more. She still thinks Hollie is thinking - “Just perform, people are going to watch, either way I’m going to have a good time.” Randy says that was well-said. He thinks she’s been having a lot of good performances. He doesn’t think she should hold back. Everyone needs to have a moment where they can win.<br /><br />Hollie says last week she was really comfortable and knows it’s time to step it up.<br /><br />I give Round One to Joshua, then Skylar, Elise, PP, Jessica, and Hollie. J’Lo and Randy give Skylar the first round. Steven says he was worried about the contestants singing Freddy songs, but thinks they did it well. He also thinks Skylar wins the first song.<br /><br /><b>Round Two - Personal Favorite </b><br /><br />Before each performance, the other contestants basically mock out the one who's about to perform. Good stuff! <br /><br /><b>Jessica - “Dance With my Father by Luther Vandross”</b><br />Jessica dedicates this song to her father who will be deployed to Singapore soon. Phillip thinks she might be an alien, and that when she goes to school, she’s really being worked on by government agents who are making her sing better every week.<br /><br />I love this song, so I judge anyone harshly who sings it. Jessica sounds a lot like Beyonce tonight. She does it beautifully. Brings me to tears. Nothing more needs to be said.<br /><br />J’Lo says Luther was one of her faves ever and says this was the best she’s ever heard it sung. The feeling makes it beautiful. Steven says Jessica can’t sing a song bad. he says her voice touches on Whitney, but she’s got her own thing going on. It’s been an honor for Steven to listen to her. Randy is amazed at the talent and thinks they all can jump on the charts and have a career. He says now that she’s making the connection, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it!<br /><br />Jessica’s father will be in the house tomorrow night.<br /><br /><b>Skylar - “Tattoos on this Town by Jason Aldean”</b><br />Back to the country twang and Skylar got the guitar. I’ve never heard this song, so for me, it’s fresh. Great job, right in her wheelhouse, and solid. This is the kind of song Skylar will record. And she will be recording no matter where she finishes in the competition.<br /><br />Randy says he is a ginormous fan. He calls her fearless and effortless. “Dude, another great performance.” J’Lo says she’s so comfortable. Steven says he missed the flair, but she can do no wrong. He wants her to find songs that take her voice to “that place.”<br /><br />Ryan asks Skylar if she has any tattoos. She has a feather on her arm to remind her that God will take your problems and make them light as a feather.<br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - “I’m Ready for Love” by India Arie</b><br />It’s a slower Josh tonight. Lots of emotion in this one. He takes it to the depth of his range and then slides back up to the middle. Quiet, subtle, beautiful performance.<br /><br />He gets a well-deserved standing ovation from the judges. His 12th as Hollie later points out!<br /><br />Randy says he’s speechless and says Josh is way beyond his age in talent. “These people are really singing, this is what it’s about.” J’Lo just shakes her head and calls it transcendent. She says the minute he starts singing everyone is suddenly present. “It’s such a gift.” Steven says he goes off into another place when Joshua sings. “I hope the label finds you some good songs and you’re off to the moon. I smell the finish.”<br /><br /><b>Elise - “Bold as Love” by Jimi Hendrix</b><br />A Jimi Hendrix song... this may be a first on ‘Idol.’ I think Elise has just decided to sing what she wants, the way she wants, and this strangely works. She really is good at this. But, I’m afeared, she’s gone this week.<br /><br />Steven says she touched his heart with this song, but warns she needs to do songs people know. She says she thought everyone knew it! J’Lo says she knows what Steven is saying, but she slayed that song it doesn’t matter. She thinks Elise is one of the best singers in the competition. Randy says it wasn’t the right song for this time in the competition. He felt like she was boxing with the song and there was so much information, maybe if it was sung simple, more people would have gotten it. Hey, I got it.<br /><br />Cool, Wallace, the guitar player is Elise's friend and bandmate. He did great.<br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - "The Stone" by Dave Matthews</b><br />PP does Dave Matthews, dressed in black. And he sound just like him. There’s really nothing more to say. It’s a cool arrangement, though, I’ll give him that.<br /><br />The judges don’t seem to be impressed. Steven says entertaining, off the wall, typical Phillip Phillips. He thinks PP found his niche. J’Lo says it was obscure and artsy. She says song is so important and she needs him to do songs that will get him on the last show so he can win. Randy disagrees. He says what PP did was showed his true colors. He loves PP is an artist and that he showed that side. “Die, sink or swim, PP will always be PP!” He loves it because he is also a musician.<br /><br />Ryan says they were backstage and PP ran by Ryan’s girlfriend, Juliana Hough, who sighed, blushed, and said, “Yummy.”<br /><br /><b>Hollie - “The Climb”</b><br />She sings it better than Miley, I will say that much. Hollie is showing more confidence onstage, and it seems this time, she wasn’t thinking too much. She felt this song and it showed.<br /><br />Standing ovation from the judges, which pleases her. Randy says this is the Hollie we loved, perfect. J’Lo says that was stepping it up. Steven loves it too.<br /><br />Hollie says this was the perfect time to bring this back!<br /><br />Round two to Josh, then Jessica, Skylar, Elise, PP, and Hollie. Overall , for me, it’s Joshua, Skylar, Elise, Jessica, Hollie and PP. Bottom 3? Tough one, but I’m going to say it will be Elise, PP, and Jessica, and Jessica will go home.<br /><br />Ryan chats with the judges. J'Lo says she's still surprised Colton's gone, which is why she warned PP about song choice. Steven says they've earned the right to sing what they want. Randy says we have to vote. Randy says everyone did great this week and doesn't know who might be at risk. Steven was most impressed with Skylar.<br /><br />It's now over to us!<br /><br />Results tomorrow featuring Stefano Langone and Katy Perry.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/BAtZFZ3kKdo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/04/american-idol-11-top-6-perform-queen.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-28881076913214070562012-04-19T18:13:00.001-07:002012-04-19T18:26:52.302-07:00'American Idol 11' - Kris Allen and LMFAO perform as another Idol bites the dust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pynkcelebrity.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/kris-allen3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.pynkcelebrity.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/kris-allen3.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>'American Idol 8' winner, Kris Allen performs tonight as one more contestant is eliminated. LMFAO will also appear on the results show. Last night's "Then and Now" theme offered some pretty good performances, including two standouts by Joshua Ledet. But who will go home? Last night I was thinking Hollie, but now I'm leaning towards Elise. We shall soon find out.<br /><br />Cold opening shows the Idols backstage preparing for their performances last night. Joshua is scared because he knows the judges don’t have any more saves,. J’Lo’s masking tape dress last night was really hideous. So much for that. Voiceover man brings out the judges. J’Lo is waring green pants and a white draped blouse. There’s Taylor Hicks! And Elliott Yamin! Wow.<br /><br />Out comes Ryan. He tells us 53 million votes came in. In case you forgot, there is no more save. The Top 7 are singing Martha and the Vandella’s “Dancin’ in the Street.” This group may be one of the more talented Top 7, but their group numbers are a complete mess. Joshua is into it, though, dancing with his BFF Hollie. Jessica is dancing in the aisles. I want to see Taylor Hicks dance. Jessica shimmies with PP and Colton does whatever he does. The red streak is gone from his hair, by the way. Come on guys, give us a nice pointy pose. Please. Nope, no pointy pose tonight. <br /><br />We return from the break to watch this week’s Ford video. They get to dress up as their astrological signs and sing “Stars.” Ryan asks the kids how they are doing. He asks Hollie how the atmosphere has changed since the judges used the save. Not much, she says.<br /><br />Ryan calls BFFs Joshua and Hollie to the center of the stage. We watch Joshua first and then Hollie. What? No Jimmy? Oh, wait, they're recapping both singers and then getting Jimmy's words of wisdom on them both. Jimmy says Joshua did himself a lot of good and stayed in his sweet spot. He thinks Hollie did come out of her shell but he doesn’t think last night was enough to avoid the Bottom 3. He does think Joshua could end up in the finale if he sticks with smart song choices and does what he does. <br /><br />Ryan asks Joshua if it’s surreal that he is standing on the stage when he almost didn’t get on the plane to go to Hollywood. The lights dim. “After over 53 million votes, Joshua, last week you faced elimination, and this week, you didn’t get the number of votes... to put you in the bottom three!” He is safe, but Hollie is not. Off to the stools of doom she goes. <br /><br />Hi Taylor Hicks! He announces he’s doing Vegas this summer. Taylor shouts out, “Kris Allen.” But Ryan has to give him the official welcome! Then Taylor does it again. <br /><br />Kris is playing piano, singing “Vision of Love.” How did he beat Adam Lambert? That still puzzles me. Anyway, Kris sings some falsetto, gets up and moves around a little. The song is pleasant with a very pop feel to it. People in the audience have been given little lights that they can swaybot with. Colton seems to be very into this performance. Maybe he’s having visions himself. Kris gets a nice reception from the audience, but no one-on-one time with Ryan. We go to break. <br /><br />We return. Ryan calls down Skylar and Elise. Jimmy says Skylar delivered, but Elise felt flat. He doesn’t think Elise caused a baby boom with her performance and predicts she could go home. He thinks Skylar has a shot at the finale and is like the little engine that could. Skylar says being in the bottom three got her redirected. Elise thinks the judges and Jimmy are harder on her than anyone else. She says she thinks it’s because she’s older and maybe they think she can take it. She says it’s disheartening. <br /><br />Elise is in the bottom three. She gets a hug from Ryan as she heads to the stools of doom. I think she’s about to cry. Skylar, of course, is safe. <br /><br />After the break, there’s a tribute to Dick Clark, who, Ryan tells us, was his mentor. Lots of great clips from ‘American Bandstand.’ Dick went on to create dozens of shows. Then, finally, Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, including last New Year’s Eve when Dick appeared with him. Ryan is totally emotional when this ends. He really loved Dick Clark.<br /><br />Quick segue to LMFAO. Now these guys are completely nuts. One has a box on his head and they have a fake zebra on the stage. The dancing zebra is awesome. Yes, I said dancing zebra. That was bizarre, but fun. <br /><br />Phillip, Colton, and Jessica get their turn at bat. PP makes fun of J’Lo telling him the song was sexy. I love his irreverence! Backstage, Colton said he didn’t care what the judges told him. Really? That was pretty arrogant. <br /><br />Jimmy says Jessica’s singing songs that are too old for her. As her mentor, he says he missed this. He thinks PP came out on both sides of the game. He thinks PP did a great job on his first song, but the second was a pass. He says Colton’s first song was all wrong... the look, the song, the performance... everything. He also needs better songs. Jimmy thinks PP will get into the finale because he’s picking great songs. <br /><br />J’Lo says she agrees with a lot of what Jimmy has to say. She’s confused. Ryan says there’s no saving Jessica from the stress of the competition. She is safe. This leaves Colton and PP, neither one has been in the bottom 3. “The person at risk of leaving our stage tonight is... Colton.” <br /><br />Ryan calls Hollie and Elise to join Colton. Randy says they have no power and they’re on pins and needles. Ryan calls Elise over to take a walk. He tells her it’s going to be rough for her this week, because she is going to have to watch one of her friends go home! <br /><br />So, who will it be? Hollie or Colton? It should be Hollie, but imagine the judges faces if they lost their wonder boy the week after they used the save!!!<br /><br />OK, here we go. “After the nationwide vote, the person whose Idol journey ends tonight is... Colton!” Wow. He apologizes to the judges for his behavior last night (as well he should) and says he’ll take that when he’s making a record. J’Lo is upset. Hey, arrogant does not play well on this show. He really got himself knocked down a peg or two, now, didn’t he. <br /><br />So Hollie stays and Colton goes, thus clearing the way for PP. Colton sings us out starting on his knees. Hollie is weeping heavily. PP looks like he is praying. J’Lo is still shaking her head in disbelief. Love a good semi-shocker!<br /><br />So that’s it, down to four girls and two guys. Hmmm.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/n48yuWS3tvs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/04/american-idol-11-kris-allen-and-lmfao.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-5188496011533831852012-04-18T22:00:00.003-07:002012-04-18T19:44:32.846-07:00'American Idol 11' - Top 7 sing "Then and Now"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/MB2_0400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/MB2_0400.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Two hours, two songs each... too much. This is the first time ‘Idol’ has started twofers this early in the season. Any hope of an hour-long performance show has vanished. Anywho... at the risk of sounding whiney, let’s get this show on the road. <br /><br />Cold opening features the shocking almost-elimination of Jessica Sanchez. It’s all done in slow motion. Suddenly, we watch the replay as J’Lo runs to the stage and rips the mic out of poor Jessica’s hand. She is stunned. Jessica has to lay down. “And starting tonight, a new beginning for all.” Chilling! <br /><br />Voiceover man earns his paycheck... or maybe he’s pre-recorded? Out come the judges. J’Lo has on what looks like a dress made of duct tape. Kris Allen (aka Who) is in the house. Out comes Ryan. He begins the show by acknowledging the passing of “a television pioneer and my dear friend, Dick Clark.” Ryan is clearly shaken up by Dick’s passing, and gets close to choking up. Awww, Ryan. <br /><br />Out come the Top 7. Tonight, one song from 2000-2010 and one “soul” song. It will be interesting to see how they interpret “soul.”<br /><br /><b>Hollie Cavanaugh - “Rollin’ in the Deep” by Adele</b><br /><br />Hollie is totally glammed up. She also seems very relaxed, which is a good thing. Little Hollie brings us a little attitude. Really, of all the people I’ve heard sing this, other than Adele, Hollie is the best. Still, Adele is pretty much untouchable. We’ll see what the judges say.<br /><br />Steven says she finally came out of her shell and ruffled her feather. “I can’t judge it, it was perfect, it was beautiful.” J’Lo is excited that Hollie finally did it - stopped thinking. Randy says it wasn’t perfect... it was close to perfect. He says for the first time ever, he felt her. “Hollie, very well done.” <br /><br />Hollie says she felt as though she was on track from the first note. She says she’s sung this song a lot and felt it was a good one for her “comeback.” Of course, she’s in the death spot tonight, so, well, we’ll see.<br /><br /><b>Colton Dixon - “Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga</b><br /><br />Colton has some one-on-one time with Ryan. His sister, Skylar joins him on the stage. She says it’s surreal seeing him up there since they watched the show since Season 1. She says she’s learning a lot. Colton tells Jimmy he’s missing the rock element. He says Gaga lifts you and it comes from the bottom of her soul. Colton needs to do this. Jimmy says Colton has the female vote that backs him like a stone wall.<br /><br />The on-stage musicians are all female and dressed in white. Colton, of course, is in black tails. He has a new red added to his hair. As for the performance, the arrangement is much heavier than Gaga’s. It’s hard on the ears. He’s singing way too low. Didn’t like it at all. <br /><br />Randy says they were at the Colton Dixon concert. He doesn’t think this was his greatest performance, but overall, job well done. J’Lo says Colton lost her a little during the low parts, but overall it didn’t matter. Steven says, “You’ve got to get low to get high.” He says, “When you’re trying to get to the other shore, you’ve got to lose sight of this one.” <br /><br />Colton will be slowing it down for round two. He says the song was out of the box, but he plans on expanding his box every week and he had a blast. Ryan asks if they’re thinking about scoring each round. <br /><br /><b>Elise Testone - “No One” by Alicia Keys</b><br /><br />Jimmy says Elise has a vacation home in the bottom three. She doesn’t really understand why she’s always in the bottom. Hello, you are a female, sweetie, and we all know guys trump girls on this show no matter how well you sing. Jimmy thinks she feels like the underdog. He says there are other contestants who are riding waves of fandom. He doesn’t think she has a massive fan base and is being judged week to week. “She can’t afford to slip at all.” <br /><br />Elise on has one-shouldered orange chiffon dress that is literally blowing in the wind (machine). The song is a comfortable fit, but the singing isn’t as effortless as usual. She’s pushing a bit. It’s good, but too forced. Elise really has an interesting, textured voice, but she’s too mature for the ‘Idol’ voting fan base. <br /><br />J’Lo says what they push others to do as far as letting go, Elise does naturally. She’s got her first goosies. J’Lo says Elise’s eyes come alive when she gets into the zone. Steven says he loves Elise, but was wishing she’d done a better chorus. “It was delish.” Randy loves her too and loves that she stayed with the melody for once. “It was a great lesson in restraint for you, and I love that as you grow in the competition.”<br /><br />Elise says she doesn’t feel well and also, her dog is very sick and might not make it. She giggle/cries. Sorry Elise. Maybe it’s time to go home. <br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - “You Got it Bad” by Usher</b><br /><br />Jimmy wants to know where PP sees himself in this thing. He’s nervous about the song, but notice PP’s got a “new voice.” He says, “If PP can do what he did in rehearsal, he may pick up some new fans.”<br /><br />Guitar in hand, PP is clad in gray, once again. Right on Phillip. This is a really interesting arrangement, and yes, he’s using a less gravely voice. I love the sax and stand-up bass too. This is actually pretty damn good. Will the judges stand?<br /><br />Yes, they stand. PP shakes the hands of the band members. The audience goes wild. Steven says PP fools them all the time. He never knows what they’re gonna get. He feels like a chump. J’Lo says, “That was so sexy.” She loves when PP shows this side of him. “A great singer can sing any song and that, you certainly are.” Randy says he smiles whenever he see PP. “This year, we have a true artist on the stage.” He says PP doesn’t really need to listen to anyone because, “You, Phillip Phillips are the bomb.” WGWG for the win!!!<br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez - "Fallin" by Alicia Keys</b><br /><br />Jimmy says Jessica doesn’t belong in the bottom three even if she sang “Yankee Doodle.” He tells her she needs to have a little bit of fun with it and feel the music. He thinks she needs a big moment. She’d better be on “blow your mind” tonight, says Jimmy. Jessica has umbrellas floating all around her. Not sure why, exactly. The swaybots are swaying their arms off. Not sure this was the best song choice for her. But as Jimmy said, no matter what she sings, she sings it well. She wants this so bad, and maybe it’s her slight air of desperation that’s hurting her. <br /><br />The audience loves it. Steven says, “With talent like yours, you have a right to get mad.” He says she released the passion. J’Lo says when she started singing she played with the song. She’s glad they had the save and they used it on her. Randy hopes America shows up and supports her. He says he doesn’t think Jessica even knows how good she is. Randy hopes Alicia will “holla at the dawg.” <br /><br />Ryan asks her what she was thinking when J’Lo took the mic. She thinks maybe the judges did not like her and didn’t want her to sing. Poor misguided child. <br /><br /><b>Skylar Laine - “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga</b><br /><br />Jimmy tells her she came off like a front runner. He helps her rearrange this a bit. Cute guy on the fiddle! This girl digs into a song and devours it. I’m not always totally thrilled by her nasally voice, but I dig her energy and performing skills. Interesting country twist to Gaga’s song. She even gets a shower of confetti when it’s over. Or maybe it's some sort of electrical circuit overload! <br /><br />Judges don’t stand. J’Lo is shouting “Yes, I love this version.” She doesn’t think a more perfect song exists. Steven says he’s so glad she was born that way. He says Skylar’s giving the other girls a run for their money. Randy says the crossover appeal is good. “You are so beyond ready to me.” <br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - “I Believe” by Fantasia</b><br /><br />Joshua says he picked this song because Fantasia has always been such an inspiration to him. He really doesn’t know what happened last week. Jimmy says Josh has to look inside and dig deep. He urges Joshua to give a little more. <br /><br />Fantasia really sang the crap out of this, but I like it done by a male. I get the same feelings I had when she sang it. It’s really a gospel song, and right in his wheelhouse. And it is positively amazing. I love this kid. Joshua puts so much emotion into every performance, but I think this is his best to date. <br /><br />Standing ovation from the judges. Randy says he loves Josh picked a song he believed in. He says Josh is one of the most gifted singers they’ve ever had. He says Josh restrained himself, pulled back, and played the motion. J’Lo calls him “sweet cutie.” She says she feels blessed that he’s in the competition and they get to watch. She talks about loving seeing his "bulging throat" (heh heh, she said bulging). Better than bulging eyes, I suppose.<br /><br />Steven says this is another step towards winning the competition. Ryan says one of his fondest memories is Fantasia singing the song at the finale with the confetti falling and the champagne bottles popping. He wonders if this is foreshadowing for Joshua. <br /><br />Round one to Joshua. Runner-up PP, then Jessica, Elise, Skylar, Colton, and Hollie. <br /><br />Before Hollie sings, we see clips from ‘Soul Train’ featuring the late, great Don Cornelius. Aretha says, “Soul Train was the show.” Tonight, we celebrate the spirit of the show. Don’s son is in the house. He looks just like his father. <br /><br /><b>Hollie - “Son of a Preacher Man”</b><br /><br />I hate this song. There, I’ve said it. And, Hollie does nothing to change my mind. She shouts and sings tunelessly. Horrible song choice, terrible performance. Arghhh. <br /><br />Randy says it was crazy and Hollie worked it out. He says it was better than the Round one song. J’Lo agrees and thinks Hollie is showing a new composure. Steven also sees and hears it. He thinks she can push it even more. This, of course, assumes she survives this week. I don’t think that’s going to happen. <br /><br />Hollie says she watched previous performances and saw her face as being “bland.” Now she’s just going to forget everything else and sing.<br /><br /><b>Colton -"September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire</b><br /><br />The song has been rearranged so that it is unrecognizable. Colton, who is back at the piano, is pitchy as hell and smiling foolishly. This is almost as awful as Hollie’s performance. <br /><br />The judges clap half-halfheartedly. Steven says this is the part of the competition that he needs to find the right song. “Your voice is a lot more powerful than that song.” J’Lo agrees-ish. She says he sounded good, but that it didn’t come together like normal. Randy says he should have done a Lil Wayne song and flipped it. “You sound good, but it’s not as exciting as we would like.” Colton “totally gets it.” <br /><br /><b>Elise “Let’s Get it On" by Marvin Gaye</b><br /><br />Ballsy pick, Elise. The sax is back too. This time, Elise is just going for her. She’s relaxed, having fun, and doing her own thang. She ends up singing to the sax player. Good job. <br /><br />J’Lo says Elise always sounds so good and she finds it hard to critique her. J’Lo notes Elise doesn’t show much emotion but thinks she should show that she feels them, that she’s a person. Oh shut up, J’Lo. I think she connected just fine. Elise is confused. J’Lo says it’s about getting vulnerable and it’s okay to let all that stuff out when you’re singing. Steven says she needs to take it up a notch. “You gotta find those few songs that will win America’s heart.” J’Lo interrupts. Randy says the problem was the song choice wasn’t right for her voice. Booo, says the audience. He thinks she over sang it and she needs to marinate it. <br /><br />Elise says she needs to find the balance. It’s hard for her to do that in a short song. J’Lo wants Elise to embrace the vulnerability. God, shut up J’Lo. I thought she did just fine.<br /><br /><b>PP - “In the Midnight Hour” - Wilson Pickett</b><br /><br />What? No guitar. PP gets down with it and even dances. He makes such odd faces and head movements. This is awesome!!! He struts, and bops, and wiggles his head. Almost as good as Paul from last year. PP got the moves like Jagger! Hilariously awesome!<br /><br />Randy says this was exactly what PP needs it what he has (what?). “Be who you are.” J’Lo wants to do the little step with him. Randy says it’s like a preacher step. She says every once in a while he throws in a little surprise that he doesn’t even know he’s doing. Steven says PP is “brilliantly awkward!” He loves his character. <br /><br />Ryan says half of the nation would like to see J’Lo get up and dance. Randy wants Ryan to do the PP step. Ryan defers. <br /><br />Kris Allen (Who?) is introduced, again.<br /><br /><b> Jessica - “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding</b><br /><br />Little girl tears this up. She literally performs vocal gymnastics when the song starts out. And her range. Holy moley. Plus she puts some serious energy into it. Where is that voice coming from. Wow. No way should this girl be in the bottom three. <br /><br />Steven says, “It’s all about stepping out and winning people’s hearts.” J’Lo says we just saw BeBe Chez. She thinks Jessica has to start pushing and America has to connect with her in our heads. “Just the voice is not going to do it.” She urges Jessica to keep taking it a little further. Randy agrees. The viewers respond to the emotion. It’s about transference. <br /><br /><b>Skylar - “Heard it Through the Grapevine”</b><br /><br />The cute fiddler follows her down the stairway. It is, of course, a countrified version of the song, which works surprisingly well. She shouts a little too much, but again, lots of energy, bouncing around, dancing, and stomping. Skylar could be a sleeper and certainly should outlast Hollie. <br /><br />Judges don’t stand. Randy says she and Phillip have no problem connecting and feeling. They do what they do. He feels like whenever she’s on stage, it’s a party. “She wants it, Jennifer.” J’Lo says the little girls (who vote) are really into her right away. “You should be really proud.” Steven agrees and says she’s like a wild horse that refuses to be tamed. Ryan says she’s singing tonight like she’s got plans for May 23 (the finale). <br /><br />I like it so much better when they come out and sing, rather than the video clips with Jimmy and all. So much easier to capture too. <br /><br /><b>Joshua - “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke</b><br /><br />Joshua sounds just like Sam Cooke starting out. Then he channels Otis. He hits a couple of bum notes, but the emotion, the depth, the range, the soul, I am blown away.<br /><br />The judges stand. Outstanding. Steven says Joshua has stretched his voice to the limits of soul. He says the restraint in the beginning made it so big when it popped. J’Lo says it’s how he comes out and sings them that make it so good. She begs us not to send him home. She loves him. Randy says this was he perfect song for him. Sam Cooke started singing gospel (quartet). He says the talent this year on ‘Idol’ is “better than ANY SHOW ON TV.” Josh’s grandma is there for the first time. Good she got to see him tonight! Josh comments on J’Lo’s dress that shows off her abs. She says if it makes her sing like that, he can stare all he wants. <br /><br />So, Joshua wins the round and the night. PP is second, Jessica third, and Elise fourth. This puts Skylar, Colton, and Hollie in my bottom three. I expect Hollie to be eliminated tomorrow, despite the judges throwing Elise under the bus. <br /><br />Randy doesn’t want anyone to go now. J’Lo says they are trying to give them the best advise so no one will go back. Steven says they need to find a good time and remember their best performance ever and double-time it.<br /><br /><br />“One of these faces will leave tomorrow night,” Ryan says as he tries to stretch the remaining minute. We even get a chance to see Kris Allen again. He’ll be performing tomorrow along with LMFAO.<br /><br /><br />I suddenly realize I overwrote last week's Top 7 performance show with this one. Arggghhh.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/i4d34dW3mcw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com1http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/04/american-idol-11-top-7-sing-songs-from.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-27969622053597118262012-04-12T16:49:00.003-07:002012-04-12T18:15:05.825-07:00'American Idol 11' - Results show Top 7 shocker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5444/6920194154_b48d032898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5444/6920194154_b48d032898.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br />The best thing 'Idol' is doing this season is bringing back former contestants every week. Makes sense, really, considering this is the place where they got their start. This week, Season 3's Jennifer Hudson and Season 10's James Durbin will be hitting the stage to entertain during the hour.<br /><br />As for the results, <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/04/12/shocker-on-american-idol-favorite-voted-off-save/#.T4dpW9l2N5c">TMZ is reporting</a> we're in for a "shocker" tonight. "One of the absolute favorites to win the competition will be eliminated," they report. But, of course, we have the save, so whoever it is will have a second chance. They have to use the save before the Top 5, after all. Who would be shocking? I'm thinking Colton. <br /><br />We'll soon find out!<br /><br />Expect The Unexpected, we are warned! Cold opening featuring scenes from before the performances, clips of the songs, comments from the judges - basically, two hours encapsulated into one minute. Oh how I miss the days of the half-hour results shows.<br /><br />Voiceover man is on point with his judges intro, and as usual, Ryan enters via the Adam Lambert Memorial staircase. That staircase will always belong to Adam! The audience is overjoyed with all of this, of course. Ryan tells us that James Durbin and J’Hud (featuring Ne Yo) are in the house. Ryan asks Randy if he’s worried about the results. Randy says he’s always nervous at this point in the competition because anyone can go. <br /><br />Now for the treat of the week. The Top 7 perform Pink’s “Raise Your Glass” out of tune and featuring PP stroking Colton’s hair. This is pretty bad. Their voices are all so different there’s no harmony whatsoever. They do a little cheerleading-like choreography, and I’m thinking we’re sure to have a nice pointy pose ending! They end up behind the judges and yes indeed, we get a delightful pointy pose ending. <br /><br />Arghhhhh.<br /><br />Back from the break for the Ford video. This week, it’s all about line drawings in notebooks. Cheap much? Song - “Great Escape” - get it? Okay, now for this week’s celebrity Tweets. Kellie Picker sent one, Skylar Grey sent one, and Jazmine Sullivan also sent one. We’ve even got a prom invitation for Colton. Hollie got an invitation to Tate Allen’s spring formal in Mississippi. Tate is cute. Elise got some feather earrings from a friend in Charleston and gives one to Steven! Nice <br /><br />Time for some results. Hollie and Jessica join Ryan center stage. We know the drill now, right. We see clips and hear Jimmy’s comments. Jimmy says they are both good technically good. One has learned bad habits and the other good. Hollie sounded contrived, stiff, and not in the right place. Jessica can basically do no wrong. Jessica says she’s been working hard all her life. So there. <br /><br />Dim the lights. “After the nationwide vote, Hollie, would you start a group on the right side of the stage.” Jessica goes to the other side. Oh noooooo, the “Huff” is coming (group is divided in half and the last person has to choose which group is safe or some such nonsense). And I’m guessing that since Jennifer Hudson is performing tonight, George Huff, who was the first Idol to be put in this precarious position, will also be along singing backup and witness the continuation of this particularly tired Idol component. <br /><br />James Durbin performs “Higher Than Heaven” from his debut album. He starts out from behind a curtain. He’s a blonde now and singing into a strange little microphone, which I assume is creating a slight distortion to his voice. Oh, James Durbin, you’re such a rawk stah. I think this is prerecorded because I don’t see the contestants anywhere. Oh, yeah, there they are, clapping half-heartedly. <br /><br />Ryan congratulates James on his success and his New Year’s Eve wedding. Stephano was best man, and they held up the wedding 18 minutes waiting for Casey. James is going out on tour starting tonight and has sold 100,000 records. James does a rocker hand gesture as we go to break. <br /><br />Back from the break with Jessica and Hollie in their respective spots. Elise and Phillip are next. Jimmy says we have two singer/songwriters who are usually character singers. If you’re missing the soul, you have a mess, basically, and have Dave Matthews doing a Maroon 5 song. Jimmy doesn’t think Elise did enough to pull herself out of the bottom three. He thinks PP will be in the bottom three. <br /><br />Dim the lights - Phillip joins Hollie (bottom three, ya think?). Elise joins Jessica. The drama is far from over, Ryan tells us! Who will be this year’s Huff? J’Hud and Ne Yo next. <br /><br />I wonder if I’d get seasick if I went to see ‘Titanic’ in IMAX 3-D? <br /><br />Now for my girl singing “Think Like a Man.” Highly choreographed with lots of dancers clad in black. Jenny looks amazing in a leather mini and skin tight black top. Her hair is great too, poofy top, long braid. The song is predictable, but the performance is highly entertaining. <br /><br />Twenty minutes to go until the shocking results. I want to be shocked, but I think the only one who would shock me would be Jessica. Maybe it’s PP? Oh, Idol, why do you torment us so?<br /><br />Colton and Joshua take the stage (so it’s Skylar who’ll be the Huff). Jimmy thinks they both did well. Joshua nailed it -natural, flawless, fit like a glove. Colton interpreted it and believed every word. “I’m in on both of them.”<br /><br />Ryan asks Colton what it will take to get the judges on their feet. J’Lo says they’ll do it when they feel it. Guess they're not feeling him, right?<br /><br />Joshua joins Jessica and Elise, leaving Colton with Hollie and PP. Skylar is still on the couches trying to figure out what is going on. Haven’t you ever watched this show before. They do it every freakin’ year. Harrumph. <br /><br />Anyway, Jimmy worries that Skylar can get left behind. She’s both a singer/songwriter and a pro. He thinks she’s subtle. “She should not be in the bottom three.” He thinks the B3 is Phillip, Elise and Hollie. Ryan tells Skylar she is safe! And, of course, she is asked to pick the group she thinks she belongs with. She refuses. Ryan walks her to the Hollie, PP, Elise group and tells them they are all safe. This, of course, means Joshua, Jessica, and Elise are the bottom 3. Really? Hollie beats the three of them? PP? Come on.<br /><br />Randy says this is a “ridiculous bottom three.” America got it wrong. Steven says they’re going to use the save tonight. This is stupid.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br />Joshua is declared safe, and it's down to Elise and Jessica. Got to be Elise, right. Wrong! "The person in danger of elimination tonight is...&nbsp; Jessica! Oh, come on. this feels totally rigged to me. Jessica? She starts singing for her life, and the judges storm the stage. J’Lo is screaming, "Gimme that mike... stop singing, we’re gonna use the save." Jessica seems stunned and doesn't quite know what to do or where to go. Mayhem ensues. Randy is pissed. He says, “This girl is one of the best singers in America.” He urges us to vote. Ryan asks Jessica if she was surprised. She says not really!<br /><br />Jessica sings us out. Her mom comes up on the stage. And we’re out. <br /><br />I am so done with this show!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/FL2nRiQ-Fw4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/04/american-idol-11-jennifer-hudson-and.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-19749923157705827632012-04-05T18:05:00.001-07:002012-04-05T18:06:23.891-07:00'American Idol 11' - Kellie Pickler returns for a results show performance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://tv.popcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/kelly_pickler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://tv.popcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/kelly_pickler.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i>American Idol</i> 5's Kellie Pickler returns to the show tonight to perform “Where’s Tammy Wynette” from her latest album, <i>100 Proof</i>. Other than that, you know the drill - dimming lights, slams from Jimmy Iovine, and lots of faux drama. As for the actual results, well, I'm rethinking my prediction and have started to think it might be Hollie. If that's the case, I doubt the judges will save her. Elise? Maybe. DeAndre? probably. Anyone else? Absolutely.<br /><br />Cold opening showing clips of last night’s performances, judges comments, and some deep thoughts by the contestants. Our votes have decided their fate! <br /><br />Voiceover man does his thing. Tonight, J’Lo is clad in a shiny gray sheath. Matt Rogers is in the house. As usual, Ryan makes his entrance down the Adam Lambert Memorial staircase. He greets us, Steven Tyler gets up and does some kind of rock god greeting, and we are off. Ryan asks the audience who they voted for. It’s hard to tell what they are saying. The remaining eight are seated on the couches of safety. <br /><br />Ryan is checking on Joshua, who says he feels light-headed. He hopes he doesn’t pass out on national television. We cheer for Josh. Ryan tells us we have a performance by UK sensation The Wanted and Kellie Pickler. Also big news for J’Lo’s other show, Que Viva. <br /><br />And, we’re getting the first view of J’Lo’s new video. Ryan wonders if there was any special chemistry between J’Lo and any one of the dancers in the video. We all laugh knowingly, since she’s dating one of the dancers. Dude is prominently figured in the&nbsp; And Pitbull is in it. <br /><br />Interesting, an ad for <i>X-Factor</i>.<br /><br /><br />We see the Ford video and a Twitter video from Joshua’s fans. A bunch of little kids in Vietnam cheer him on. <br /><br />Now for results. We’re doing results by duets tonight. First up, Joshua and Jessica. Joshua. We see clips from Joshua’s performance. Jimmy says Joshua was over-affected when he started. He says he looked like a real pro and thinks this is the best time to peak. <br /><br />On Jessica, Jimmy says she came on and does what she does. But, this wasn’t enough because the song wasn’t big enough. He warns Jessica not to let this happen two weeks in a row. <br /><br />Ryan asks Jessica how she thinks she did. She says she thinks she did a decent job and that it’s hard to compare herself to Joshua. “After the nationwide vote, unfortunately, you’re not going to be happy until you relax and sit down on the couch. You are safe.” Jessica joins Joshua on the couches. No surprise there. <br /><br />Next up, The Wanted from the UK singing their smash hit, “Glad You Came.”&nbsp; There’s a whole bunch of them and they prance around the stage pandering to their fan-girlies. J’Lo seat dances with one of them who gives her a kiss. Simple, repetitive lyrics sung by a bunch of pretty boys. <br /><br />We return from the break for more results. Next to hear the news, Skylar and Colton. Girlies scream, “We love you, Colton.” Jimmy says he is happy they talked her out of “9 to 5.” He thinks she went from the bottom to the top, and if she continues, can win the whole thing. <br /><br />On Colton, he thinks he was good, not great. He says you don’t have to be the best team, just the better team for that night, and last night, he wasn’t.<br /><br />Skylar says she doesn’t feel that she was overlooked as a power vocalist, just that she prefers the country songs. <br /><br />Tricky Ryan pulls Hollie and DeAndre up to join Colton and Skylar. That’s so DeAndre and Hollie can go to the stools of doom.<br /><br />Jimmy thinks Hollie’s problem is that she’s approaching this as a high school performance. “Where’s the feeling?” He says she will be in the bottom three and will be fighting with DeAndre as to who is packing. <br /><br />Jimmy says no to the judges. DeAndre was not great. He needs to come out and grow at a fast pace, and that he is the weakest of the boys. He could be in the bottom three and could go home, unless J’Lo saves him. <br /><br />Ryan asks the judges about Jimmy’s comments. They say they loved DeAndre last night. J’Lo watched again last night and she felt the same. Ryan asks how they feel about being compared. DeAndre says it’s fine. The lights dim. “After the nationwide vote, DeAndre, the judges praised you last night. America agreed with Jimmy. You’re in the bottom three.” His sister is weeping in the audience.<br /><br />Colton is safe. One of the ladies is in the bottom three. Sads. “After the nationwide vote, the person in the bottom three is Hollie.” She joins DeAndre on the stools of doom. One more person will join them (Elise?).<br /><br />Kellie Pickler is up. The song is totally honky-tonk and she’s dressed in jeans and a loose top. She’s let her hair grow out too. Skylar is going out of her mind. Kellie sits on the couch between Colton and PP. I’ve always loved Kellie Pickler! The kids on the couches get a hug. Kellie says she was backstage having an anxiety attack on results night. Looks like Joshua had to leave the stage. It’s her one-year anniversary too. <br /><br />One more duet awaits their results. Elise and PP join Ryan. PP is first. Jimmy says there are three versions of yourself - great, good, and terrible. He says it was good and this was PP’s worst performance so far. He says PP needs to be pushed to be the best version he can be. If he stands still, it’s possible others can pass him. <br /><br />Oh, Elise, wrong song. Jimmy says this was the right song and that she sang it great in mentoring and rehearsal. Unfortunately, she hit the stage and choked. He says this week she didn’t even sing the tune and that can take you from the top to the bottom. Elise says she really got wrapped up in the song and the more into it she gets, the harder it is to stay in the lines.&nbsp; PP says he isn’t worried about complacency. He’s not into walking around the stage, touching people’s hands! Yes, PP. So who will it be? And no surprise, Elise is in the bottom three. PP is safe, but watch out, because now you’ve done gone Heejun on us (“I’m not trying to be famous”).&nbsp; <br /><br />Hollie is quickly sent back to the couches, leaving Elise and DeAndre. <br /><br />Back from the break, DeAndre and Elise are with Ryan. Steven says America didn’t get it right - half and half. Randy is half and half as well. “The person who is at risk of leaving us and who will sing for the save tonight is DeAndre.”&nbsp; He’s talking to his family before he sings. And, we’re doing a reggae tune, enjoying his last moments on the stage. J’Lo has her arms crossed. Will they use the save?&nbsp; I don’t think so. They still have a couple of weeks and some faves in the mix. <br /><br />J’Lo can’t look up. She gets to deliver the word. “This boy right here, we’ve been watching you for two years. I stand by that.” But... she only gets one vote and they’re not saving him. J’Lo voted to save but Steven and Randy did not. <br /><br />We watch DeAndre’s farewell video. I was totally wrong this week!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/qbYaNWtWbSg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/04/american-idol-11-kellie-pickler-returns.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-75453112295677475732012-04-04T19:27:00.001-07:002012-04-04T19:39:10.044-07:00'American Idol 11' - Top 8 sing songs from the 1980s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/PG2_1803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/PG2_1803.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Tonight, our remaining eight 'Idol' finalists will take on music from the 80s. Ah, the 80s - big hair, big shoulders, and some of the most wretched music of all times. Goody! <br /><br />The show starts with the sad departure of Heejun Han, who was decidedly <i>not</i> saved by the judges. J'Lo tells him she wanted to save him. Oh well. Jessica tells us they're down to the "best of the best." We see the Idols rehearsing, posing, and generally solemnly reflecting on their fate.<br /><br />Voiceover man welcomes the judges. This week, J'Lo is wearing what looks like a tinsel skirt. Ryan descends the Adam Lambert Memorial Staircase and we are off. <br /><br />Ryan tells us the Top 8 is doing music that will brings us back to our high school proms. Not me! We see a shot of a fly 1980s version of&nbsp; Randy Jackson. The Top 8 hit the stage. The audience stands up. Tonight they'll be singing individually and pairing up for guy/girl duets. Convenient when they have an even number. First time that's happened in a while!<br /><br />Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal from No Doubt are the mentors. The kids will tell us what they miss most about being away from home. <br /><br /><b>DeAndre Brackensick - "I Like It" by DeBarge</b><br /><br />DeAndre misses his car. He just got his license before he went on the show. DeAndre starts out singing in the audience. The girlies like it. Lots of falsetto and he gets a chance to move around. Very true to the original. Unfortunately, he's first, which doesn't help at all. DeAndre is actually a good vocalist, a few pitchy moments, but he has a chance to work his range, and it's a solid performance. <br /><br />J'Lo laughs loudly into the microphone. "I like it a lot," she says. She thinks DeAndre was comfortable and felt it was all very natural. "You really made it your own... great job." Steven says it was totally captivating and he forgot where he was. Not really unusual, now, is it Steven?&nbsp; "That was exceptional today." Randy says DeBarge is saying "This kid has arrived. It was perfect, I would make records like this. You could be a 2012 version of DeBarge."<br /><br />Ryan asks DeAndre about going first. He says it's a double-edged sword, but he was comfortable. <br /><br /><b>Elise Testone - "I Want to Know What Love is" by Foreigner</b><br /><br />Elise misses her band in Charleston, SC. We see them cheering her on. She wanted to sing "Halleluiah," but changed her mind. Gwen thinks this could be a "magic moment" for Elise. The vocals are not good. She's all over the place pitch-wise to start off. She gets a little smoother on the chorus, but the overall effect is a bit disconcerting. Some more "ouch" moments at the end. I do like her voice, but this song, not so much. I also hate her one-sleeved white blousey top. Looks like something Erika would wear. I think Elise could be in serious trouble this week. <br /><br />Steven says he loves her style and voice, but doesn't think this song was right for her. J'Lo says Elise looks beautiful and loves the way her look is developing. She thinks it wasn't totally right every moment, but she felt her emotion and says it was a great performance on that level. Randy says this is a tough song to sing, and Elise never hit the pitch right. He says she was under the pitch the whole time. "It was out of pitch everywhere for me." Yup, you got that right, Randy. <br /><br />Now for the first duet. Colton and Skylar are singing "Islands in the Stream." Colton's hair is totally blonde now. Colton sings scarily into the camera. Together, they sound pretty good, but separately, Skylar owns this. They've put more red in her hair, and she really looks like Reba. I just know they'll force them to do this 566 times on the tour. <br /><br />Randy says, "Wow." He thinks they did a nice job and it was sweet. "I enjoyed that." J'Lo says it was perfect for Skylar who knows when to bite into the song. She thinks Colton was the perfect partner. "Match made in heaven," says Steven. Ryan thinks there might be chemistry between the two. <br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - “That’s All” by Genesis</b><br /><br /><br />Before he sings, we meet Phillip’s brother-in-law, Ben, who he says taught him a lot about music. His dream is to have his brother right up on the 'Idol' stage with him. PP’s rehearsal started very rough. Tony wants him to stop playing guitar on the bridge to make it sexier. <br /><br />PP gets his wish and has his brother-in-law on stage playing guitar. PP pretty much does the same thing he does every week. The arrangement is a bit more lilting if that makes sense. PP attacks a song and wrestles it into submission! And he never seems to take it very seriously, which is why I like him! I think it’s interesting how PP transforms into someone totally different on stage. He's not your average WGWG!!! Good performance as usual.<br /><br />Steven says PP is a wild flower and loves his individuality. J’Lo says he got a little lost in the beginning and wonders if he was distracted by his brother-in-law. Randy loves the brotherly love thing. He thinks it was a great song choice. He also appreciates Tony Kanal’s suggestion. <br /><br />Ryan asks the brother-in-law how it feels to watch his brother on TV. He says he couldn’t be more proud and that PP is staying true to himself. The brothers hug.Everyone goes "Awwww."<br /><br />Next up, are Hollie and DeAndre singing the Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited.” Their voices don’t blend well at all. Hollie is done up in leather pants and a polka-dot blouse. This reminds me of why I have problems going to the Idols Live shows! The whole thing is el-cheeseo. <br /><br />Steven says it was a beautiful duet and loves that Hollie let go. J’Lo says she wasn’t sure about the song before she heard it, but also loves that Hollie let go. She thinks they sounded great together. “Very, very, very nice from two young’uns.” <br /><br /><br />Hollie says it’s more fun to sing when you’re not being judge. But wait, they are being judged... by us!<br /><br />Before the break, Ryan banters with the judges who are all agreed they need someone to come out and blow them off the stage.&nbsp; <br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” by Simply Red</b><br /><br />Joshua says his emotions came out last week because he was missing his family. We see his entire family standing around in the kitchen. Jimmy and Gwen are a bit concerned by the arrangement so they suggest a break in it. They also warn him not to overdo it. But, of course, that’s what Joshua does. <br /><br />Joshua gets the “Candles in the Wind” background. He’s taken this song and infused more soul into it. It wakes it up! And, once he takes this to church, he tears it up. Joshua has a real old-school vibe and his voice has just enough gravel in it to make it interesting. I've so missed having a really good black male singer on this show. Thank you Joshua!&nbsp; Loved it!<br /><br />The judges stand again. J’Lo says, “Lawdy, lawdy, we asked for a powerhouse performance and that’s what we got.” She loves that he held back in the beginning. “It was spectacular.” Steven says, “Over the top... how can someone sing like that at your age.” He says it wasn’t too much over the top, but it was way over the top. Randy says that it’s rare that he wants to stand up from beginning to end. He doesn’t care what the song it as long as they sing it. He says, “We’ve found someone tonight who’s gotta have it.” <br /><br />Ryan asks how emotionally draining is this process from week to week. Joshua says it’s tough to adapt these songs to make them their own, and he has a problem because he’s only 19-years-old and doesn’t have these love problems!<br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez - “How Will I know” by Whitney Houston</b><br /><br />Jessica says before all this, she considered herself a normal teenager who loved to shop and sing in her room in front of boxes. Gwen says Jessica is shockingly good. She does think Jessica should try to move in ways different from a lounge singer! We’re gonna see “BeBe Chez!”<br /><br />I really don’t like this song for her, but I suppose she’s sort of balladed out. Once she gets into the chorus, her vocals get stronger and we hear <i>her</i>. I am still hearing Jennifer Hudson in her too. She still doesn’t have the moves down, but that's okay. It’s the song that sucks, not Jessica! No worries, though. I would say this girl is in it til the end. <br /><br />The judges don’t stand! J’Lo says that’s two powerhouse vocals in a row. She says Jessica is such a little girl, but is a woman at the same time. She says she listens to her and can’t believe it’s coming out of her little body! Steven says everything she does is beautiful and great. Randy says he had the pleasure of working on this song. He says Jessica had big shoes to fill. He can’t believe the maturity in her. “She has to have it too.” <br /><br />Ryan points out the nuances in her performances and is amazed she’s OMG only 16.<br /><br />Phillip and Elise sing “Stop Dragging My Heart Around.” PP looks odd without his guitar. He does this strange lurching movement around the stage. Elise sounds so much better on this one than she did her solo. I like the way she enunciates when she sings. Their singing, well, it sounds a bit canned to me. Not sure what’s wrong with it, but something’s off. Maybe it’s PP’s posture! <br /><br />Randy says, “Yo” a lot and calls it “hot.” “That was great, both of you.” J’Lo says she wanted to be them! Steven says it was a Tom Petty moment wrapped up with Elise and Phillip. “It was beautiful, it was nice, as good as it gets.” Ryan says he loves the way PP creeps around the stage. <br /><br /><b>Hollie Cavanaugh - “What a Feeling” </b><br /><br />This is the longest Hollie’s been away from home. Her little puppy is now huge. She was very surprised that Gwen is the mentor. Jimmy says he passed on the soundtrack! Jimmy says Hollie gets a little technical at times and needs to add more feeling into it!<br /><br />Ooops, they’re not ready for her to sing and are still setting up the stage after the video clip. Now that would throw a girl off. She’s got the disco lighting and a fringed dress. She starts out okay, but once the song kicks in, she completely loses her pitch. Not a good song choice at all. Very, very karaoke. She knows it too.Hollie is a one-trick singer and when she strays from her comfort zone, she isn't there at all. <br /><br />Steven says her songs are always great at the end, but takes time to get there. “Your pitch was all over the place.” J’Lo says Hollie is listening to what everyone is saying. She says you have to forget everything they say and just “free fall.” She says you’ve got to stop thinking and feel it from her heart and soul. Randy says they are both correct. Basically, honey, you’re thinking too much. Hollie says she agrees and is still learning.<br /><br />Joshua and Jessica sing “I Knew You Were Waiting.” Seriously? It feels like the finale - Top 2 singing their mandatory duet. So polished. So professional. Perfection. Best thing I’ve seen on this show all season. Or maybe in two seasons. Fabulous. I love them both. Period. <br /><br />Randy says two of the greatest singers in the competition. “This is one of the greatest performances I’ve seen on this show. You guys are ready.” J’Lo says this is a dream pairing and says she is thinking final!!! “You guys slayed that.” Steven says that performance was so over the top, it defies judging. I haven’t bought a single song this season, but I’m getting this one. <br /><br /><b>Colton Dixon - “Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper</b><br /><br />Back home in Tennessee, Colton works as a face painter? Gwen says she thought it was strange he was doing this at first, but then sort of got it. She sings backup for him and he wants her to sing with him on stage. Tee hee hee. <br /><br />Colton puts his usual angst into this. I really don’t care much for Colton and this song doesn’t change my mind any. His voice is somewhat toneless and the emoting feels forced. He works too hard at it. Sorry, not a fan. <br /><br />Steven says Colton just proved what he can do with a song. “You’re ready to do.” J’Lo says Colton was in synch with the band and felt so many different things during it. She says it was like a climax... okay. Randy says he and PP and Joshua all made the songs their own. “You’re so current.” I guess I’m not current. <br /><br />Ryan jokes about Colton’s new blonde hair. Colton acknowledges that he pretty much stole the arrangement from Quiet Drive. Good for you not taking credit like others have in the past. <br /><br /><b>Skylar Laine - “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler</b><br /><br /><br />Skylar misses her deer meet sausage, guns, and three-wheeler. Skylar says she was shaken by being in the bottom three last week. She’s debating “9 to 5,” but decides to slow it down. <br /><br />I think she would have killed “9 to 5.” This song is too slow for her style. But, she does finish very strong and shows some power in her vocals we haven’t seen before. <br /><br />The judges stand. J’Lo is pointing out that she has tears in her eyes. Randy says, “Wow, Skylar, Wow.” He says it started slow, but in the end, he loves her big voice. J’Lo says we might not know how well she can sing and is saying, “Don’t count me out.” Steven says that was the best song she could have picked for her voice and to end the night. <br /><br />Skylar says she doesn’t want to be in the bottom three, so she put on a purty dress and showed ‘em something we haven’t seen before. <br /><br /><b>Best and worst</b><br /><br />Hmmm. Joshua was my favorite tonight, followed by DeAndre (yes, DeAndre). I’d put Phillip third, Jessica fourth and Skylar fifth. My bottom three, then, would be Hollie, Elise, and Colton. Now, Colton isn’t going anywhere, which leaves Elise and Hollie. Of the two, Hollie had the weakest performance tonight, but Elise really hasn’t lit the audience on fire, so I’ll go with her. <br /><br />We’ve got so much time to kill tonight. J’Lo says we should be voting for the “full package” (heh). <br /><br />Kellie Pickler and The Wanted tomorrow night.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/MphDBEFClCE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/04/american-idol-11-top-8-sing-songs-from.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-51373379595429118702012-03-29T18:01:00.000-07:002012-03-29T18:01:07.045-07:00'American Idol 11' - Top 9 results with Scotty McCreery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.wetpaint.me/ai/ROOT/photos/300_250/spl296304001-393452784166175795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://static.wetpaint.me/ai/ROOT/photos/300_250/spl296304001-393452784166175795.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Scotty McCreery returns to the 'Idol' stage tonight for the first time since his win last season. We'll also find out who is going home. I suspect it will be the end of the road for Heejun, but who knows!<br />Lots of inspiration with the cold opening tonight with a Fleetwood Mad soundtrack. Voiceover man brings out the judges and Ryan descends the Adam Lambert Memorial staircase.<br /><br />Big Aerosmith news. After video of Tyler performing, Ryan brings him up on the stage to discuss the "Global Warming Tour." The tour kicks off June 16 in Minneapolis. <br /><br />The Top 9 are on the couches and Ryan reads Tweets from the celebs whose songs they sang Wednesday night. Ryan says DeAndre didn't get a Tweet, but Eric Benet is here in person. Eric says DeAndre's performance was "amazing." He says the song was tailor-made for DeAndre.<br /><br />Now for the Ford video. A special badge is hidden somewhere to further tantalize us. The Idols are stacking up old TVs. And they want to rock. I didn't see the badge. If you did, you can play the Ford video challenge on American Idol.com. You can win a Ford Escape and a trip to the Season 11 finale.<br /><br />&nbsp;Before the results, we watch the Idols move to a mansion in Hollywood Hills. They all&nbsp; seem astounded, of course, and we see the requisite running around, jumping on beds, and checking out the bidets! "Unfortunately, one of them will soon be moving out unless the judges activate their save."<br /><br />Elise, Phillip, and Hollie start us off. Here's what Jimmy has to say. <br /><br /><b>Elise:</b> Jimmy says she took charge of the stage, led the band... she's exactly at the right age. Stevie Nicks and Annie Lennox didn't have their first hit until they were 26. She was a dark horse, but not anymore. Now, she's coming on strong.<br /><br /><b>Phillip:</b> Whenever Stevie Nicks believes in someone, they go all the way. If his original material is anywhere near as good, he'll go a long way. He was flawless.<br /><br /><b>Hollie</b>: She has a beautiful sound and did a beautiful job, but she lacks experience. It will come down to comparing Hollie and Jessica. Hollie has an intellectual approach. She has all the pieces, but she needs to put it together.<br /><br />"Dim the lights... after the nationwide vote, Hollie, Carrie Underwood loved your rendition, but unfortunately, you are in the bottom three." Hollie goes to the stools of doom. Phillip is safe, as is Elise. <br /><br />Next up, Nicki Minaj. There's so much auto-tune, it's hard to tell where Nicki stops and the background ends. It's a dancey tune! I'll tell you what, Nicki's about to bust right out of her little bikini top! Keep jumping up and down, Nicki.&nbsp;<br /><br />Ryan talks to Nicki and mentions that parts of the performance were "high risk!" Heh! Nicki wants to be a guest judge and asks J'Lo to scoot over. J'Lo's not having any of that, and tells Nicki there isn't room for the two of them!<br /><br />More results. Ryan calls Colton, Joshua, and Heejun. Here are Jimmy's comments.thoughts:<br /><br /><b>Colton</b>: Colton wasn't good enough.You have to go through the whole cycle - rehearsals, mentoring, backstage and performance. This is not the end of the concert where you can lose it and cry. Colton lost the fight. He didn't get knocked out, but he faces eight opponents. <br /><br /><b>Joshua:</b> It's a tough one, he delivered 85 percent of the song, but when he cried, he lost it. When you cry, your voice closes up and you can't sing. But, Joshua killed during the Michael Jackson medley.<br /><br /><b>Heejun</b>: It was really great to see Heejun come back... I don't think it was enough. The math doesn't work. I don't think he sings as well as the other eight contestants on the show.<br /><br />The lights dim. "After the nationwide vote, Colton, an emotional night for you as we saw. America says, you are safe." Colton goes to the couches of safety.&nbsp; This leaves Joshua and Heejun. "Joshua, it is you... who is safe." Heejun goes to the stools of doom and Joshua walks over to hug them."<br /><br />Scotty McCreery sings "Water Tower Town." He has a great band, and the song is upbeat and fun. Love to see former Idols return to the stage. Scotty gives props to the judges and he gets a little one-on-one time with Ryan. Scotty says it feels like only yesterday. Jimmy Iovine comes out to present Scotty with his platinum album for <i>Clear as Day</i>! Alright Scotty.<br /><br />Ryan calls the final three to center stage - Jessica, Skylar, and DeAndre. You know it's got to be DeAndre, right? Jimmy says:<br /><br /><br /><b>Skylar:</b> She always pulls it out somewhere - she picked a character song, rather than something with more melody. She needs to pick songs with more song going forward. But during the medley, she rose to the head of the pack.<br /><br /><b>DeAndre:</b> I'm seeing right in the middle. There's still something missing. He needs to work his way into this and get more experience. People may or may not buy into his falsetto.<br /><br /><b>Jessica: </b>At 16, Jessica's managed to harness enough experience it takes ten years to build. She got lost in that song, but kept her composure. I'm fully onboard with this. What we need right now is a little girl power.<br /><br />Jessica is safe. "The person who is at risk of leaving us tonight is... Skylar. DeAndre, you are safe." Wow, didn't see that coming.&nbsp; <br /><br />We come back from the break. One person is being sent to safety, and that person is... Skylar. It comes down to Hollie and Heejun. "The person who is at risk of leaving us tonight is Heejun. Hollie, you are safe."<br /><br />Heejun will sing "Song for You" for the save. The judges will not save him. Of that I am almost positive. As Heejun sings, we get closeups of the remaining eight looking poignant. The judges pretend to deliberate, be we all know it's pointless. Meanwhile, Heejun sings better than he has at any time during the competition. J'Lo has tears in her eyes. At the end of the song, he tanks everyone "so much." He knows he's a goner.<br /><br />Will they use the save? Sgteven gets to drop the bomb. "Heejun, let the record show you know this was coming, ugh... unfortunately, after talking, we're gonna have to let you go, man."<br /><br />Heejun smiles through his funeral video. We will miss you, darlin'.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/zJ7ne6HgDuI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-idol-11-top-9-results-with.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-60818442336174959452012-03-28T19:00:00.003-07:002012-03-29T14:41:49.802-07:00'American Idol 11' - Top 9 sing songs from their own idols<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/MB2_94581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/MB2_94581.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Now that Syracuse is out of the tournament, I can concentrate on other endeavors, including 'American Idol' and my new writing gig for Skyword. Thank goodness for <a href="http://celebs.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981216564">Whitney</a> and <a href="http://celebs.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981221357">Bobby drama</a> that continues even after her passing. We'll try to get some 'Idol' articles up there as well. <br /><br />At any rate, tonight, the remaining nine sing song from their own idols. Word is Madonna will be in heavy rotation tonight. We'll be on it!<br /><br />We start out with clips of the Top 9 and inspirational phrases involving dreams. Stevie Nicks' "Dreams" is playing in the background. We see a shot of the departed ones - Erika, Shannon, Jermaine, and Jeremy. Ah, their dreams are crushed, I get it. <br /><br />Voiceover man does his thing. The judges appear and slap hands with the audience. Ryan makes his entrance down the Adam Lambert Memorial staircase. Ryan asks the audience to indicate their favorites. Signs wave, people cheer. The Top 9 meander out to the stage. They are all wearing combinations of black and white clothing. Ryan tells us tonight, "It's our Idols taking on their Idols. <br /><br />Tommy Hilfiger gets another shot to dress these people. He tells us the goal is to allow them to find their own image. Jessica comes out wearing some strange dress. The rest are paraded in front of us. Tommy says by the time we get to the finale, "the styles will be outrageous."<br /><br />Lots of music tonight. The kids will be singing one song and then perform in groups of three.<br /><br />Stevie Nicks is the guest mentor. We see tape of Stevie and Jimmy back in the day. Jimmy had hair. <br /><br /><b>Colton Dixon - "Everything" by Lifehouse</b><br /><br />Colton is thrilled that Stevie knows who he is. This is a worship song and Colton tells us church is how he got into music. Stevie misinterprets this as a song to a woman. Jimmy says he is "in" on Colton this week all the way. <br /><br />Lots of strings on stage. Colton is suitably subdued and reverent, gazing upwards (when he doesn't have his eyes closed). He's pitchy. The song starts out very slow and mournful. I keep expecting a kick and finally it comes. I think he's trying for the Lambert effect. It's not working. Not really a fan of this one. <br /><br />Colton ends the song on his knees. The judges seem impressed. Steven says Colton is a dream come true for a judge on 'Idol.' "You've got that star quality, which puts you over the top." J'Lo is moved by "hearing his song... you're a performer, great job." Randy likes the white coat. He says he's been a fan since his first audition. He finds Colton believable. "I feel your heart and passion in everything you do." Randy says that performance was unbelievable. He says he thinks he's looking at a contender for the title. <br /><br />Colton takes a deep breath. He says this is his favorite worship song of all time. He gets all choked up again. I think he's sincere, but the winner? I really don't think so.<br /><br /><b>Skylar Laine - "Gun Powder and Lead" by Miranda Lambert</b><br /><br />Stevie and Skylar sing together. Stevie urges Skylar to remember she's a major storyteller. Jimmy thinks Skylar has to be "in her game" to do this. <br /><br />I have no idea why they keep putting this girl in tops that flare out at the hip. Sheesh. Anyway, she comes out strong. She's got the attitude, that's for sure. Skylar's nasally twang is a bit annoying, but for what she does, I suppose it's appropriate. She may be the best female country singer on this show since Carrie and that's saying something.Solid job. <br /><br />The audience approves. Randy is grinning from ear to ear. J'Lo says the Skylar part of the show is "unbridled, can't keep it in the can energy." She reminds us Skylar sang this earlier in the auditions. Steven says it was over the top and it was like singing to her old friend. "That was beautiful." Randy says "Mississippi was in it... more of that dirty south." He reminds Skylar that it's all about telling a story. He loved that at the end she showed her range. "You are a powerhouse singer. I like what you bring to this. Good looking out."<br /><br />Ryan tells us our first trio is coming up after the break and "Heejun fights back!" Goody. <br /><br /><br />Colton, Elise, and Phillip are the first trio and sing a Fleetwood Mac medley. Colton is clearly the featured act in this trio. PP is totally off key, but Elise manages to hold her own. I really hate these trios tossed in the middle of a performance show. Why? Oh, right, they want to keep the show to two hours and it's harder to do when you only have nine people.<br /><br />Steven says it was "most excellent." He tells us he just had a birthday and had dinner with Mick Fleetwood. Whoopty do.<br /><br /><b>Heejun Han - "A Song for You" by Elton John</b><br /><br />Stevie calls it effortless. Jimmy says Heejun came in with a sparkling new attitude. Stevie says he's letting people into his world. So that means no more crazy, fun Heejun? Boo. <br /><br />No joking around tonight. Another boring ballad. You wimped out Heejun. He is definitely subdued. He stays completely true to the melody and really, his voice is quite lovely. Still, I miss the fun of last week. <br /><br />J'Lo totally grooves to the tune and the three judges give Heejun a standing ovation. He bows politely. Steven says Hee-Man turned it around. He doesn't think Heejun knows how good he is. "You make it come alive like no one else can." J'Lo asks him what he's doing up there. She says he is here because they know he can sing that way. "When you connect, and you really sing to us, you move people... that was beautiful." Randy says it wasn't perfect, but he loves Heejun's "buttery, beautiful tone". He says the Heejun they loved in the beginning has come back. And the Heejun I love has disappeared once again. <br /><br />Ryan asks what Heejun we'll get each week. He says he showed the fun side last week, but wanted to show the serious side because he doesn't want to let people down. <br /><br />Another songwriting competition. Jason DeRulo is writing a new song for Coca-Cola. He's got a blinged-out neck collar on as he broke his neck. He's written a song that fans can finish and will perform the collaborative effort on the finale. <br /><br /><b>Hollie Cavanaugh - "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood</b><br /><br />Stevie tells Hollie her mother died two months ago and she doesn't have any problems. Not sure exactly what that means in terms of singing. Hollie says she felt the pain that Stevie felt. They share some whispered words. She thinks the world will believe Hollie.<br /><br />Hollie gets the wintertime snowy background and a sole fiddler on the stage. It's tough singing a song that's so closely identified with another Idol. Not sure this was the right choice for her as it emphasizes her somewhat odd accent. She sounds like Celine Dion singing Carrie Underwood. She finishes strong, but for me, it's a tiny bit karaoke. <br /><br />Randy says he didn't know Hollie was such a Carrie fan. He thinks she did a really good job, although it wasn't perfect. The audience boos. "Pretty good job, man. I was impressed." J'Lo disagrees with Randy and says this was one of Hollie's best. She says it was the first time she really connected with the song. "I felt it emotionally, I really did and thought it was one of your best." Steven says he's not gonna mess with Jesus or Carrie! He wishes she'd sung a different song. "It was just okay for me." He says she picked up on the passion, but didn't feel the full range of her voice in that song. Hollie says she gets emotional thinking about her interaction with Stevie.<br /><br /><b>DeAndre Brackensick - "Sometimes I Cry" by Eric Benet</b><br /><br />Stevie says the song isn't doing it for her because it's too fast and tells him to slow it down. Lots of falsetto in this one. Jimmy and Stevie advise him not to forget about the camera. Jimmy says he's one of the guys in jeopardy and he needs to pull it together. <br /><br />The song is perfect for his range. He seems to be concentrating on the camera, which seems to be circling around him. The performance is exactly what you'd expect from this song. Very Maxwell-esque. Personally, I think he was outstanding. Good for you DeAndre. You might just have bought yourself another week. <br /><br />The judges give DeAndre a standing ovation. Steven says, "100 percent passion."&nbsp; J'Lo says for her, DeAndre has the most special voice in the competition. "People pick up your phones and vote for DeAndre... I need to hear this voice for some more weeks." Randy says he's happy that DeAndre is back to the whole Maxwell, Prince thing. "Guess who else is back in the house... DeAndres's back." DeAndre is emotional and says he's glad he got back to himself.<br /><br />Another hour to go. <br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez - "Sweet Dreams" by Beyonce</b><br /><br />Stevie says Jessica's a good student. Jessica has always idolized Beyonce. Jessica has red doors and a red harp on the stage. She's slowed this song down and it feels very different, almost unrecognizable. I continue to hear Jennifer Hudson in Jessica's voice, but with a little more polish than where J'Hud was while she was on 'Idol.' This girl has a very powerful, clear and clean voice. And her performance skills are top-notch.<br /><br />J'Lo says if Beyonce heard it, she might think she should do the song that way too. "You left all of us wanting more." Steven says he thinks Jessica's a star no matter what. "You really know your notes... it was delicious, it was beautiful." Randy says "stars are truly born." He says she's one of the best singers he's heard in many years. He loves her resolve. "You told a beautiful story in a beautiful way... Colton threw down the gauntlet... this girl wants it too!"<br /><br />Now for another threesome. DeAndre, Heejun, and Joshua are singing a medley of Michael Jackson tunes. Joshua is the star of this one. He can sing and he can dance! J'Lo says it's a good thing they are not here for 'So You Think You Can Dance."<br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - "Still Raining" by Jonny Lang</b><br /><br />Stevie says if PP had been around back in the day, he would have been invited to join Fleetwood Mac. We get a little love-fest between Jimmy and Stevie. Stevie thinks PP is going to be a big star and she thinks he's georgeous. PP is playing his guitar. The song is what he does best, a little blues, a little rock, and a little PP. Of all the WGWG, I think he may be the best yet and maybe, just maybe, he <i>will</i> hit it big. Hey, Daughtry did it, and in my opinion, PP is way better than Daughtry ever thought of being. <br /><br />Another standing ovation from the judges. J'Lo says, "This is too much." She says he wants them to feel and experience the music, and is in the moment and makes everything go away. "That was a great performance. Amazing." Steven says every song PP sings he owns and he thinks there someone in there trying to climb out. Randy loves PP, the artist that he is, the individuality. "Dude you got big things in front of you. Big props. I loved it." <br /><br />I love that once PP stops singing, he reverts back to his good ole boy, pawn shop worker demeanor. It's like he morphs into someone completely different when he performs! An interesting character. <br /><br />Dionne Warwick and Jordin Sparks are in the house. Jason DeRulo is sitting with them.<br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - "Without You" by Mariah Carey</b><br /><br />Jimmy says the first time the song came out, it was a guy singing it. Stevie says he'll be a goner if he comes in on the first not and is flat. Not loving this song for Joshua. He sings it well, no question about that, but I don't know.&nbsp; I don't feel he's really committed to it. But then he turns the song inside out and infuses it with emotion. This guy is so good. At the end, he is so emotional, he looks like he's about to cry. I do believe Mr. Ledet has surpassed himself. I would love to see him win this. <br /><br />Another standing ovation from the judges. Randy says he was talking to Mariah yesterday on her birthday (name-dropper).&nbsp; He says he loves Joshua, it was flawless, and emotional. "That's what the audience feels, that's what they want." Steven says everyone has been pushing themselves beyond their own limits. He says Joshua had an emotional breakdown because he pushed himself so far on the song. J'Lo wonders if Joshua was singing to her. "You're a phenom. You're an absolute angel from heaven. That voice is a Godsend."&nbsp; She says this group is phenomenal, but he is special. Joshua says he knows he can help someone else by singing this song. Ryan wonders when was the last time they had a show that was this emotional. Never?<br /><br />Hollie, Skyar and Jessica are singing a Madonna medley. Again, I hate these medleys. They were the best of the trios, though. Randy loves the medleys, natch. <br /><br /><b>Elise Testone - "Whole Lot of Love" by Led Zeppelin</b><br /><br />Stevie says Robert Plant would be very proud. Elise and Stevie sing "Dreams" together. Stevie says she felt a kindred spirit with Elise and if she needed a singer, she'd hire her in a minute.<br /><br />Rock it, Elise. I have mixed feelings about this. It's completely out of what she's been doing on the show and shows another side of her. Risky. But was it effective? It's not what I would consider a "singer's song" and requires a bit too much screaming. I think she gambled and might have lost. Just my humble opinion.<br /><br />No standing ovation from the judges. Oh, wait, they stand up a bit later. Maybe they were told too? J'Lo is screaming "You made me get up!" I think the producers made them get up. Steven said Elise made Robert Plant proud. J'Lo said that was "some real rock star stuff." Randy says he doesn't know what's in the air tonight, but they all want to win it. "Dude, you did an amazing job. Congrats."<br /><br />Elise and Steven have on the same pants! <br /><br /><b>Best and worst</b><br /><br />This was actually one of the best 'Idol' performance shows in years. While some were definitely better than others, no one had a bad performance. Best of the lot? I'd put&nbsp; PP at the top of the list tonight closely followed by Jessica and Joshua. Skylar, DeAndre, and Hollie are my middle three, leaving Colton, Elise, and Heejun in the bottom. I think this week will be Heejun's last stand.<br /><br />Ryan asks who is in danger. Randy says it hard to say. Steven says it was like a "magical mystery tour of talent and emotion." He urges them all to keep this up. J'Lo says there were so many standout moments she couldn't stay in her chair.&nbsp; <br /><br />Tune in Thursday for results, Scotty McCreery, and Nicki Minaj.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/CaWFZkkWKNQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-idol-11-top-9-sing-songs-from.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-50223273441757848742012-03-21T19:24:00.003-07:002012-03-21T19:38:40.532-07:00'American Idol 11' - Top 10 sing Billy Joel<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/gallery/500x595/5f08e16c99ba1243c2d2dddd81bb3d9204bf535a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/gallery/500x595/5f08e16c99ba1243c2d2dddd81bb3d9204bf535a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'American Idol 11' Top 10</td></tr></tbody></table><br />This week, the remaining ten finalists take on the music of Billy Joel. So much for relevance! I have nothing against Billy Joel, but really feel it's time for 'Idol' to take a look around. It's 2012, and Billy Joel is, well, rather passe. These themed shows have long-since run their course. At any rate, it is what it is.<br /><br />I also read online today that Heejun is promising to do something crazy every week during his performances. Now that gives us all something to look forward to! <br /><br />The show opens with... no sound? It appears the contestants are crying about Shannon, who was eliminated last week. At least it's captioned so we know what's going on. Maybe it's my TV? But no, the repeat of <i>Two and a Half Men</i> had sound and 'Idol' is silent on the other TV as well. I do my own Voiceover man intro of the judges and Ryan. My cat runs over the keyboard in protest. <br /><br />Well four minutes in, the audio is back. Thanks Time Warner<br /><br />Diddy is the mentor this week and Tommy Hilfiger is going to do a little styling. <br /><br /><b>DeAndre Brackensick - "Only the Good Die Young"</b><br /><br />Diddy tells DeAndre Billy was hot during this song. Jimmy says the repressed young Catholic boy is all about him. I love Diddy. Jimmy tells DeAndre he should sing it to J'Lo. "If he doesn't have fun with this song, he done," says Diddy.. The arrangement is a bit reggae, which I suppose is okay if that's <i>all</i> you can do. DeAndre's vocals are a bit strained, and he doesn't seem to be singing in a key that's comfortable for him. And his dancing, if that's what you want to call it... well, let's just say he's a bit off and call it a day!<br /><br />Steven says DeAndre has some fans. He tells him the song is about why he and Randy are still here. J'Lo says this was a great way to start the show and loves his island vibe. Randy says he wasn't jumping up and down because he didn't see anything special. "It didn't wow me, but it was okay." My sentiments exactly. Not good that DeAndre performed in the death spot either. They really want a girl to win this! <br /><br />A Facebook friend says he had sound from the start, so that must have been a local feed problem. <br /><b><br />Erika Van Pelt - "New York State of Mind"</b><br /><br />My girl from RI tells us the song is an anthem for New Yorkers. Diddy and Jimmy are afraid of her over-singing. Diddy wants her to deliver this like a New Yorker. She says she's a Rhode Islander.&nbsp; Tommy asks Erika who is her style icon. She says Pink. Ralph says Erika's hair is taking away from her look. So she gets a haircut and we won't get to see it until she sings!<br /><br />Erika's hair is now black and short and greasy looking. She looks ridiculous. It looks like a bad wig. I can't even concentrate on the singing, the hair is so bad. She looks like a 40-year old lounge singer. I don't even know what to say! I guess it was okay. It doesn't matter, anyway, because she is done. How do I know this? I just do.<br /><br />Randy says he loves the look. He says he thinks she's one of the best singers in the whole thing. One piece of advice. "Those that can do, should." He thinks she should have ignored Jimmy and Diddy and oversang it. I guess that's what he's saying. J'Lo says it was a beautiful vocal. She also loves the hair and thinks it's hot - very Pat Benatar. She also wants Erika to put more in it. Steven agrees and says she wore it like beautiful. <br /><br />Ryan says the Twitter response has been positive... about her hair, I guess. Is there something wrong with me? <br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - "She's Got a Way"</b><br /><br />Tommy says he wants to see Joshua in a tuxedo and says this will make him look like a superstar. Joshua says he didn't connect with the song at first and was feeling defeated. Diddy says once Josh was present, it was magic. Joshua does not wear the tuxedo. So much for Tommy's advice. Don't really like this song, and it drags until the middle when the chorus comes out and he takes it to church. This dude can deliver. I love the key changes in it. I like this guy a lot. <br /><br />J'Lo says that Billy Joel wrote his life in his songs and you have to feel it when you sing it. She wanted to feel that he was really connected to it. "You were singing it, but you weren't singing it." Steven says he took a song he didn't know and sang his own life into it and made the song come to life. "I think you sang the sweat out of this song." Randy says he can see where they are both coming from. He tells Josh never to feel defeated. "Always just jump in and grab that lyric and make it your own." <br /><br /><b>Skylar Laine - "Shameless"</b><br /><br />Skylar is completely awestruck at meeting Diddy. He tells her to make the whole thing feel like it's coming from her heart. He says when you overcompensate, you lose who you are. She gets an autograph. Now for her styling. He wants to evolve her look without abandoning the boots. He wants punch and color. <br /><br />Skylar doesn't look much different. She walks around too much at the beginning of the song and messes up her breathing. When she stops prancing around and stands still, she is fine. Girl's got a little attitude, and I like this song a whole lot better as a country tune. My only complaint about Skylar is that she sounds the same every week. <br /><br />Randy says he remembers a version of this song Brad Paisely did. Skylar says she was thinking of Garth's. He pretty much agrees with me. J'Lo says she loves Skylar's attack. Steven says he amazed that every time she hits the chorus, she sings with conviction. She says it's a little low in the beginning, but she left it in so she could do the high part at the end. I don't think she's going anywhere, anytime soon.<br /><br /><b>Elise Testone - "Vienna"</b><br /><br />Jimmy wonders if she shouldn't sing something that's better known. Diddy instructs her on opening with the mike on the stand and then opening up. Off to the stylists. Tommy thinks she's over-layered. he wants her in a pair of high-waisted bells Ugh. They're going for a Janis look. <br /><br />Elise opts for a dress and long vest. And she sings the crap out of this song. I love the tone of her voice, her commitment to the lyrics, her conviction. She breaks free of the mike stand and walks to the other side of the stand, never losing a breath or a beat. Fabulous. <br /><br />The judges give her a standing ovation. Randy is bowing. Steven says the melody was so fantastic, great singing... "You were beautiful" J'Lo says she wants to shake her it was so beautiful. Randy says he likes that they've all made these songs their own. Randy says that vocal performance was a "moment!" He says the run she did at the end was unbelievable. Two of her students come up on stage to give Elise a hug. The girls are crying and say she was amazing. Nice moment. <br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - "Movin Out"</b><br /><br />PP gets some alone one-on-one time with Ryan. They talk about the pawn shop biz. Tommy says PP needs some help. We learn that gray is the worst color to wear on stage. Tommy says he must do something different because America wants to see a star. No, no, no Tommy. PP is this year's WGWG. He can wear whatever he wants and he'll get votes. Meanwhile, Diddy doesn't want PP to play the guitar. They want him to get in the groove. They bring some girls in for him to sing to. <br /><br />PP totally ignores everyone - plays his guitar, wears gray, and doesn't dance! Never heard anything quite like this. He's completely PP'ed the song, but once in a while a little hint of Billy's arrangement peeks in, shyly. It's Dave Matthews meet Billy Joel and strangely, it works. <br /><br />The audience loves it. J'Lo says she felt like PP was taking out a little aggression at the end. "Awesome performance." PP says the guitar is him. Steven says PP PP'ed the song. That's what I said. Steven is also glad he wore gray and tosses PP his scarf. Randy points out all the things PP did that the experts told him not to. "You know who you are. You are an unbelievably talented artist... it was brilliant." <br /><br />Yay PP for defying everyone! Ryan asks PP if he considered any of the suggestions. Nope, says PP. He is who he is and basically doesn't give a damn what anyone says. He tosses Steven's scarf to the fan girlies. <br /><br /><b>Hollie Cavanaugh - "Honesty"</b><br /><br />Jimmy thinks they dress Hollie too old. Tommy agrees. She loves sparkly dresses. Diddy helps her understand the meaning of the song, and urges her to put the anger and disappointment into it. <br /><br />So, they want her to dress young, but now she looks like a 1930s movie actress. Her natural beauty disappears. As for her vocals, they are not as spot on as usual. The arrangement is boring and somewhat choppy. Not her best, but I blame song choice here. <br /><br />Steven says she is "one of our grand singers," and says she was pitchy. J'Lo says she takes on big songs, but at the end of the day you have to hit every note. Randy says the choruses were great, but the verses, not so much. "Tune the vocal up a little bit." She says this was a tough week and agrees with the judges. <br /><br />Haley Reinhart is in the house.<br /><br /><b>Heejun Hun - "My Life"</b><br /><br />Heejun wants to talk about the harsh criticism last week. Jimmy says use it as fuel to push forward. Diddy wonders if Heejun is an actor or a con man or what. Now for the stylist. Heejun is wearing a Heejun is Love tee shirt. Heejun says he looks up to Jessica Sanchez and Madonna for fashion. Oh, and Michael Bolton. <br /><br />He starts out slow, then tells Ray it's much too slow. "I want to dance." He whips off his shirt and launches into the song. Heejun prances around the entire stage, sings to Randy, touches J'Lo. "I don't care what they say anymore, this is my life!" Probably the most fitting song choice ever. He's even using a totally different singing voice. Nigel is loving it. This is great!!! Yay, I say out loud!<br /><br />J'Lo loves that Heejun brought a little fun and it was like a breath of fresh air. She says he didn't hit the vocal just right because he was running around, but it was a lot of fun. Steven calls him "He Man." He's tongue tied. He says, "You showed 'em." He says at some point Heejun needs to take it more serious. No, Steven. No. Randy says at least Heejun had a good time and it was entertaining. He's happy to see Heejun having a good time. I know I was entertained. I would bet Heejun has finally earned himself the endorsement of VFTW with this one! <br /><br />Heejun says the stage is pretty big and he'll never do it again. He bows to Ryan as he leaves the stage. Heejun walks off and Ryan calls him back. <br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez - "Everybody Has a Dream"</b><br /><br />We jump right back into Jessica's styling. Tommy advises her to shorten the dress. Diddy tells her she's oversinging and he doesn't believe her when she sings it. He thinks she has to pull back from all the tricks. Jimmy wants her to sing the song to Diddy. "I believe you now," he says. He wants her to pay respect to the song. <br /><br />She does have a pretty voice when you strip away all the theatrics. She a tone similar to Jennifer Hudson, actually. She holds back early in the song, but then takes it back up when the choir joins her. See she gets a choir too. And she pops in a few of her signature high notes as well. Excellent performance. <br /><br />Jessica gets a standing ovation from the judges. Steven says Jessica's gone beyond his level of judging. J'Lo says it was as though Billy Joel wrote the song for her and says this is her defining moment. Randy says it takes consistency to win and every week you have to have a moment. Jessica does this. He also says Jimmy, Diddy, and Tommy all did her well. She says she sang what she believes in and this is her dream. <br /><br />Do you think, maybe, they'll get Colton to rid himself of the skunk stripe? <br /><br /><b>Colton Dixon - "Piano Man"</b><br /><br />Colton wants to create his own style and be edgier. Tommy is, rightly so, concerned about the hair. Colton says his hair's his baby and hates that Tommy immediately discredited it. Jimmy says the song is tailor-made for him. Piano. Man. I get it. Diddy says he wanted to buy the song. Jimmy says Colton knows where the song lives.<br /><br />Colton is playing a red piano and is bathed in spotlights. He's had his hair layered or something. He reminds me of Matt Giraud on this one. He under-sings this if that's possible. And he's off pitch in spots. I think the arrangement is too simple and he doesn't really have the vocals to pull that off. Naked vocals have to be perfecto ala Bo Bice's "In A Dream." Colton misses it. <br /><br />J'Lo says she had goosies and referred to Diddy as Puffy (in case we forgot she and he used to be an item). Randy says it was a sensitive, touching performance. Randy says, "Stay an individual, be an individual." <br /><br /><b>Best and worst</b><br /><br />Elise and Jessica are tied for first with me, followed by Joshua, Skylar, Phillip, and Hollie. Wasn't really feeling Colton, and while I liked Erika, I don't see her getting out alive this week. She'll be joined in the bottom 3 by Heejun and DeAndre, both of whom will be safe because, well... they are guys. Sorry RI homey, you're going home this week.<br /><br /><br />No recap tomorrow. My beloved Syracuse Orange is playing Wisconsin in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen at 7:15 p.m. SU in the Sweet 16 or the 'Idol' results show? Hmmmm...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/xADHZGMQYdY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com1http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-idol-11-top-10-sing-billy-joel.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-92102250784815456222012-03-14T19:00:00.003-07:002012-03-15T13:55:33.300-07:00'American Idol 11' - Top 12 (minus one) perform songs from the year of their births<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xWFIqQIUq8U/T2EnViV1p_I/AAAAAAAABAU/ALkvp71bQrs/s1600/Top+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xWFIqQIUq8U/T2EnViV1p_I/AAAAAAAABAU/ALkvp71bQrs/s1600/Top+12.jpg" /></a></div>It's performance show night, and the remaining contestants will be singing songs from the year of their births. But, of course, there's a whole lot more going on than just the singing as viewers will also be tuning in to see how the show handles the ouster of Jermaine Jones. <br /><br />What we know is that he has some rather serious legal issues pending in his home state of New Jersey. He allegedly gave a false name to police on two occasions and has several outstanding warrants open against him. And, from everything I've read, he disclosed none of this to 'Idol' producers. Of course, one wonders, how is it that all this escaped the show's background check. They do a background check, right? <a href="http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/jermaine-jones-american-idol-arrests-769123">The Smoking Gun</a> was able to unearth two warrants after all. <br /><br />The cynic in me wonders if producers did know about all of this and brought him back for the drama. However it plays out, it will be interesting to see how the show deals with this story. Also, I wonder, will anyone be eliminated this week? <br /><br />Ryan opens the show and addresses the Jermaine issue. "When you're doing a live show, anything can happen," he says. Voiceover man welcomes the judges. J'Lo is wearing a mustard-colored dress. Ryan comes down the Adam Lambert Memorial Staircase. No tie again, Ry?<br /><br />Ryan tells us that one of the finalists had to be eliminated, but will get to more of that later in the show. We see baby pictures of Randy, J'Lo, and Steven. And, of course, chubby little Ryan. This week's mentor is Will.I.Am.<br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips – September 20, 1990 - "Hard to Handle"</b><br /><br />PP was a premature baby and had some sort of bowel problem as an infant. PP tells Jimmy and Will.I.Am he has to have kidney surgery that night. But he nails the rehearsal. Jimmy wonders if he'll be able to do the show.&nbsp; No guitar tonight for PP. He sings it straight, not much tinkering with the arrangement. Nothing super special, but certainly enough to get him to next week.<br /><br />Randy says PP is like a fish out of water, but tonight, after surgery, sounding like that! (He had the surgery Thursday). "Good song choice!" J'Lo says this is so natural for him. "It just comes out of you... it was a great song for you. It was perfect." Steven is glad PP picks songs that are right for his voice and character. <br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez – August 4, 1995 - "Turn the Beat Around"</b><br /><br />Jessica was a cute baby! Her mother said she'd cry until she would faint. Will.I.Am is a fan, but wants her to punctuate the modulation. He thinks it's daring to pull of a power stunt. Not sure what that means, but okay. Will.I.Am is impressed she's OMG only 16 and calls her a "Swaggernaut."<br /><br />I hate this song. The background vocalists sort of drown her out in front. This song really does nothing to show off her power or range. It's a dance tune without much of a melody. She's screechy and somewhat out of breath. Not a good choice at all. Nope. Too much going on onstage too.<br /><br />Steven says he loves her voice, but thinks she can't stray too far from ballads. He thought the rhythm was a little shady and he loves her pants. J'Lo says her voice lagged behind, lost energy, and didn't have the rhythm. Randy agrees. He thinks they need to give her great constructive criticism. He urges her to pick something more that she can do a lot with. <br /><br />Jessica says there wasn't a lot to choose from in her year and she had to do a lot of work on it. <br /><br /><b>Heejun Han – April 20, 1989 - "Right Here Waiting"</b><br /><br />Heejun's parents are adorable. Speaking in Korean, his other says he was always smiling!&nbsp; Jimmy and Will work a little on Heejun's accent. He gets an autograph from Will. Heejun wants Fergie's number! Will reiterates that Fergie is married.<br /><br />Heejun seems to be planted on the stage and just sings. He's out of breath and very out of key. It's incredibly boring and uninspired. It seems like he's just given up. Or maybe this is really all he has. Whatever. I think Heejun is in trouble this week. <br /><br /><br />Randy says, for him, he didn't enjoy it at all. "It was pitchy in at least five or six spots... it felt like you were out of breath the whole time." He misses Heejun's R&amp;B swag. "Not a great performance for me." J'Lo says he was struggling, but by the end, she felt the heart of the song. Steven says Heejun stepped so far out of his circle to do it and it wasn't a great song. "Love your voice no matter what." J'Lo says his voice is still special. Heejun says he was thinking about his girlfriend, who is in the audience! Awwww.<br /><br /><b>Elise Testone – July 29, 1983 - "Let's Stay Together"</b><br /><br />Elise's mother tells us she was always getting in trouble as a child. Elise says when she takes the stage, people will be making babies. We see a sing-off between Elise and the president. Simon would call this "loungey." It's over-arranged and she's trying to do too much with it. Her vocals are solid, though. Probably the best so far. Too jazzy, though. Can't imagine what a record producer would do with her.<br /><br />Steven says his Aunt Sonya loves her voice. He loves her voice. J'Lo says that was showing America who Elise is. "It was a beautiful thing." Randy says, "America, Elise is back." He says this girl is dope, and loved the run at the end. "Like butta." She points out her cousin Amanda. <br /><br /><br /><b>DeAndre Brackensick – October 21, 1994 - "Endless Love"</b><br /><br /><br />His father says DeAndre was a ham as a child. His mother like 'The Music Man' and memorized the whole movie. We see him as a child singing in a church choir. Someone told them after the show, he would be on 'American Idol' some day. They have him change his song from "Can You Feel the Love." Good move Jimmy.<br /><br /><br />DeAndre starts out singing with just a piano. Another boring song, but he gets the swaybots going. Too much vibrato for my taste, and he stays too long in his lower register. It's adequate, but forgettable. He hits a high note at the end that feels like it's in the wrong place or something. He worked too hard at something that wasn't worth it. <br /><br /><br />J'Lo says he sang it beautifully, but didn't think it was the right song for him. That makes her upset and she hopes America sees past that. Steven says he loves DeAndre, but agrees that wasn't the right song for him. Randy agrees. He says it was boring and very safe for him at the wrong time. "Way too boring." J'Lo says a song loses the sweetness and beauty of the melody when you change the key. DeAndre says he got comfortable with it after a while.<br /><br /><br /><b>Shannon Magrane – October 21, 1995 - "One Sweet Day"</b><br /><br />Shannon's father says the first song she sang was "Thumbalina."&nbsp; Jimmy gives a plug to a new AT&amp;T phone. Will recommends she practice singing laying down for better breath control. Shannon is surrounded by a string section. She starts out okay, but gets off-track in the middle. She's just singing the words - no real conviction. This is not a song to smile while your singing!<br /><br />J'Lo says this was not an easy undertaking and was terrified, but says Shannon did a beautiful job with it. Steven says she sings her best when she doesn't try so hard. Randy says he was also terrified (of course, he worked with Mariah... no, really?). But Randy says she has "mad potential and is fearless." He says the front of the song was cool, but the run was cool. Shannon says laying down helped. Ryan wonders how difficult it is to choose a song from one year. Not really, says Randy. There are thousands of songs. Ryan is happy Shannon is wearing flats tonight. Doesn't dwarf him so much.<br /><br /><br /><b>Colton Dixon – October 19, 1991 - "Broken Heart"</b><br /><br /><br />Colton is onstage with Ryan. Colton says he had dinner with Chris Daughtry the other night. Daughtry's advice is to pick songs people know. He was "baby of the week" when he was born. Colton was an excellent baseball pitcher, but quit for music. Apparently the band doesn't know this song so Jimmy and Will.I.Am have him sing it with just a piano. Will.I.Am says it's now Colton's song.<br /><br />I really hate this guy's hair. As for the performance, it's exactly what you'd expect from Colton - lots of fake emo faces and angst.&nbsp; The song is overly-arranged, too many strings. He started out okay, but the end lost something. Picking a song that no one knows is not a good idea at this stage of the game. Too bad he didn't listen to Daughtry!<br /><br />J'Lo says this is the first time she heard this song. She loved the beginning and says, "Colton is a lover." She thinks he looks pretty when he sings. Randy says he didn't notice that either. Steven thinks it was the wrong song for his voice and his passion. "I didn't feel the song going anywhere." Randy says there's millions of songs, but this is a case where the song didn't matter, it was about Colton. He says Colton's always consistent and liked his fly jacket. <br /><br />I guess they're saving the Jermaine story for the end to force everyone to sit through the entire two hours. <br /><br /><br /><b>Erika Van Pelt – December 12, 1985 - "Heaven"</b><br /><br />Her mother says Erika was born with music in her and was always loud. She wanted to play baseball Mom says she is lucky to have the daughter she has. Jimmy has her put a break in this one too. Erika is dressed fairly appropriately this week. She sings the hell out of this song, but really? This song? I love the tone of Erika's voice. She is consistent and "gets" it. Again, the song is poopy, but she was great!<br /><br />Steven says she was too busy all over it. Someone boos. J'Lo says this is such a powerful song and she has the chops to rock it out. She didn't like the arrangement. She says she loves to see the contestants shape and form right in front of them. "I feel you coming together as an artist."&nbsp; Randy says he kind of liked it, but warns her not to make too much out of a classic. "Don't let anyone tell you to do that."<br /><br /><b>Jermaine Jones</b>&nbsp; <br /><br />Jermaine enters a room with Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick. Nigel says there have been a lot of things going on this week and they've been given further information. Nigel is reading from a paper and asks Jermaine if the charges are true. Ken says there are four warrants out for him. He says if contestants come clean about this, they can help.<br /><br />Nigel wonders about a fight. Jermaine is clearly caught by surprise and says it wasn't a fight. Nigel wonders why he didn't say anything about any of this. Jermaine says he thought he could just pay the fines. He didn't want to be judged. Nigel says the show is not allowed to have anyone on the show with outstanding warrants and they have to let him go. Jermaine goes quietly.&nbsp; We see his remarkable rehearsal performance of "Somewhere Out There." Nigel says it was wonderful. And then we watch as Jermaine gets into a limo and drives away. Such a waste. <br /><br /><b>Skylar Laine – February 1, 1994 - "Love Sneaking Up on You"</b><br /><br />Skylar says the judges are being mean! She says everyone is taking the criticism well. Dad says she was a handful and headbanger as a baby. Jimmy says her original choice was not a good choice for her. They suggest all kinds of songs, but she's sticking to her guns.&nbsp; I don't think this was her best choice. The tempo is weird, not fast or slow, sort of medium. It feels sluggish. She sings it well, though.<br /><br />Steven says he hasn't heard her sing back yet. J'Lo says they do them a disservice if they aren't honest. "If I got to keep it real, you really killed it." Randy says this is our rockin' in-house country girl. He says whatever you sing, you just have to sing it good. He says it doesn't matter about the song, she did it well. <br /><br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet – April 9, 1992 - "When a Man Love a Woman"</b><br /><br />Ryan says he was in Louisiana over the weekend and remembered that Josh said he missed crawfish. They wheel out a big tub of crawfish, which Josh then shows us how to eat. Four young girls are onstage, but don't want to eat them.<br /><br />Josh was the youngest of eight kids. Mom says he always wanted to sing in church, but she didn't want him too because he was a rascal."&nbsp; Will.I.Am says Joshua flashed back to his own days in church. Josh is a preacher's kid. Here's an example of someone picking the right song. This is an oldie, but Michael Bolton recorded it in 1992.&nbsp; Now Josh takes us to church with this. He puts everything he has into this performance. Everything.&nbsp; He takes his jacket off mid-song. J'Lo loves it. The judges are standing. J'Lo is jumping up and down. Joshua owns the night on this one! Yeah! Makes me want to say Amen.Wow. <br /><br />He gets a standing ovation from the judges. Randy says they needed a moment tonight. "Somebody needed to come out and regulate. That was phenomenal and incredible on so many levels." J'Lo says it's the best thing she's ever seen on 'Idol.'" Of course, she's only been on the show one full year, and really, what did we see last year, right? Can you even remember last year?&nbsp; Randy says what made this special was the crawfish. Steven says "God came through your eyes." Your eyes? Maybe the voice.&nbsp; J'Lo wants Ryan to stop her. Ryan wonders if they can skip the commercial. Someone brings out a platter of crawfish. Ryan indulges.&nbsp; Mayhem ensues. <br /><br />I hope the combination of Joshua's singing placement (second to last) and judges praise will be enough to get votes. This kid should never have been in the bottom six last week. <br /><br /><b>Hollie Cavanagh – July 5, 1993 - "The Power of Love"</b><br /><br />Hollie was born in England, now living in Texas. That would explain the accent. Dad gets choked up. Will.I.Am wonders where all her power comes from. She says this is not the stage of the game to play it safe. Hollie is totally glammed up tonight and has the stage of candlelights. And she powers through the song. There's a lot of depth to her vocals and she has perfect pitch. Again, the arrangement is a bit sluggish, maybe it's just the way it's supposed to be. She goes for the glory note in the end and I'm not sure she hits it.<br /><br />J'Lo says they really saved the best for last. She said there were a couple of tiny things but to criticize would be silly. Steven says it was a little pitchy, but her voice came from above. Randy says she was in her wheel house and she "blew it out the box... very well done!" Her brothers pretend the song was so-so!<br /><br />Randy says the safest is Josh and the one in trouble Heejun. J'Lo says the safest is Josh, Hollie, and Phillip. She's going to let America decide. Steven would say Joshua is our Jessica this week. He won't say who's in trouble.<br /><br /><b>Best and worst</b><br /><br />Best of the night Joshua and Hollie, followed by Erika, Skylar and Elise. Middle of the pack would be Jessica, Colton, Phillip, and DeAndre. Bottom two - Heejun and Shannon. If someone is eliminated this week, I think it will be Heejun. But I don't think anyone will go seeing that we lost Jermaine and all. <br /><br />Tomorrow night - Daughtry and Demi Lovato, plus, some exciting J'Lo news.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/c5UOv2zXJgI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-idol-11-top-12-minus-one.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-84978775658616645972012-03-13T19:26:00.001-07:002012-03-13T19:34:54.547-07:00Jermaine Jones disqualified from 'Idol'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thegrio.com/assets_c/2012/03/Jermaine%20Jones-thumb-400xauto-32044.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.thegrio.com/assets_c/2012/03/Jermaine%20Jones-thumb-400xauto-32044.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/03/13/jermaine-jones-american-idol-criminal-history-kicked-off/">TMZ</a> is reporting that one of the 'Idol' Top 12 has been disqualified from the show. According to the site, the contestant failed to reveal several criminal charges pending against him. Allegedly, the contestant also has outstanding warrants. <br /><br />TMZ says the show's producers confronted the contestant on camera today and the footage will be part of Wednesday's show. <br /><br />Again, according to TMZ's source, the contestant was charged with two crimes in 2011, and at the time, gave a false name to police when when he was arrested.<br /><br />Tuesday night, someone tweeted from Jermaine Jones' official 'Idol' Twitter account (@<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/jjonesai11">JJonesAI11</a>) "Awww I will no longer b on the show." The tweet has since been taken down and TMZ has since confirmed it is Jones who will be leaving. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S6bwwBCDj4E/T1_-vwHUDYI/AAAAAAAABAM/TcW5GyDPvL4/s1600/jermaine%2Btweet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S6bwwBCDj4E/T1_-vwHUDYI/AAAAAAAABAM/TcW5GyDPvL4/s400/jermaine%2Btweet.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Earlier today, Jermaine was embroiled in yet another controversy involving an <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/03/13/american-idol-jermaine-jones-lie-father-dad/#.T2ABE3lLORO">alleged phone call</a> he had from his long-lost father. But, according to his father, Kevin Jones, he and Jermaine have been in touch, and in fact, Kevin Jones was in the audience both nights last week to watch his son perform.<br /><br />Jermaine originally did not make the cut to the Top 24, but was brought back as a surprise Wild Card pick. He performed during Top 13 and made the cut.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/JciT4xpBVHI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/03/jermaine-jones-disqualified.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-77390308296610119102012-03-08T18:05:00.003-08:002012-03-08T20:08:40.795-08:00'American Idol 11' - Top 13 results show recap<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width/hash/d6/59/d659bbb7617b99ad0a5cf72cc64b73b1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width/hash/d6/59/d659bbb7617b99ad0a5cf72cc64b73b1.JPG" width="237" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica Sanchez performs on 'Idol' Wednesday</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Wednesday's Stevie/Whitney theme night delivered some decent performances and some that were, well, not so good. The general consensus seems to be that Jessica Sanchez won the night with her stellar interpretation of Whitney's monster hit, "I Will Always Love You."&nbsp; One viewer, Jennifer Hudson, who performed the song at last month's Grammy ceremony, was so impressed that <a href="http://www.accesshollywood.com/american-idols-jessica-sanchez-reacts-to-twitter-praise-from-jennifer-hudson-i-was-crying_article_61703">she tweeted “Yes Jessica! That’s it!!”</a> High praise indeed. <br /><br />The other stand-out performance came from Phillip Phillips, who indied-up Stevie's hit, "Superstition." But, <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/03/08/american-idol-phillip-phillips-hospital-doctor-gallstone-contestant/#.T1lFlHlLORM">according to TMZ</a>, PP was taken to the hospital this morning, after complaining of severe stomach pain. His father has stated PP has had trouble with kidney stones, but is determined to stay in the race. He has been released from the hospital and expects to take part in tonight's results show. <br /><br />One more <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/03/08/american-idol-contestant-jermaine-jones-dad-father/#.T1lGPnlLORM">tidbit from TMZ</a>. Apparently, Jermaine Jones' long-lost father called him last night. Jermaine was none too happy about the call.<br /><br />All that being said, let's get to the results, shall we?<br /><br />We start out with clips of the Top 13 hitting the blue carpet last week. "They Were on Top of the World" a banner reads. All was well until last night! Harsh words for some, high praise for others. <br /><br />Voiceover man brings out the judges and Ryan. J'Lo and Randy are holding hands. Ryan strolls down the Adam Lambert Memorial Staircase. He's wearing a tie tonight. <br /><br />Lauren Alaina will perform tonight as will this week's mentor, Mary J. Blige. Ryan reminds us that the girl and guy with the lowest votes will be revealed and the judges will decide who goes home. <br /><br />And it's time for the season's first ga-roup number! The boys come out and lead off with Stevie's "Always." They sound awful. No harmony at all. Phillip looks relatively healthy! The dancing is too much to handle. What a weird group. Erika dances like she is stomping grapes. The only distinctive voice in the mix is Jermaine's. <br /><br />The judges give them a standing ovation. <br /><br />The contestants are sitting on a two-tiered couch. Ryan intros the first Ford video. They are giants tromping around L.A. Then it's time for a message from Jimmy Iovine. He says God made Whitney Houston by hand, while the rest of us were mass-produced. Thank you Jimmy for that inspiring message. <br /><br />Ryan calls down Jessica, Elise, and Hollie. We start out with Elise's video from last night and the sorry comments. Elise says she wants tough criticism. Jimmy says he watched the performance four times. "She didn't rise to the occasion. I think she's in trouble."<br /><br />Hollie's next. Jimmy says Hollie was at an advantage and she delivered on the promise. "She was fantastic." They save Jessica for last. Jimmy says her performance was the best he's ever seen from anyone on 'Idol.' He's concerned she'll buy into the hype too much.<br /><br />Dim the lights. "America has decided that Jessica, you are safe." Now there's a shocker! This leaves Elise and Hollie, and not surprisingly, Elise is in the bottom three girls. She walks over to the stools of doom on the right of the stage. <br /><br />Heejun, Jermaine, and Colton walk to the center of the stage. First, we watch Heejun's clip. J'Lo still loves him. Jimmy says the last thing he would do would be to give Heejun a Stevie song. Now for Colton. His hair seems to change every week. Jimmy says Colton took great direction. He's concerned that Colton is attempting something that is not true to him. <br /><br />Jermaine has his turn. He says he disagrees with Randy. Jimmy says Jermaine was thinking too much. And to Steven, he says, Armani doesn't make suits that big. Jermaine doesn't want to answer if he agrees with Jimmy. He doesn't want to answer.<br /><br />"Colton, America did not like what they saw. They loved it!" He is safe. Heejun is also safe and Jermaine lumbers off to the stools of doom. No surprises yet. <br /><br />After the break, Lauren Alaina. Once again, we see the J'Lo commercial for her new clothing line for Kohl's. She's also in a L'Oreal commercial. Making some bucks off 'Idol,' eh J'Lo?<br /><br />Ryan congratulates J'Lo on the success of her new show, which debuted with 30 million viewers. She says it's a joy to discover all the Latino talent. No comment on her ex!<br /><br />Lauren is singing what I presume to be her new single, "Georgia Peaches." Looks like she has lost a bit of weight... more than a bit, actually. She's very Carrie Underwood. Skylar is most likely enraptured. Lauren sings to Randy. Lauren sits on the couch with the boys. Vocally, she's rather screechy. <br /><br />The judges stand for her too, but we don't get any Ryan time. Instead, we go to break. <br /><br />We come back from the break and begin results again. Erika, Shannon, and Skylar join Ryan center stage. We start with Erika. Jimmy says Erika's problem is her presentation, but she did a good job with the song. Shannon is next. Poor Shannon. She still thinks she did a good job on this. Jimmy says nerves got the better of her last night. Nerves cracked her vocal chords. "She has a lot of talent, she just needs more experience." Finally, we see Skylar's clip. Jimmy says he likes nasal!<br /><br />Dim the lights. "After the nationwide vote, Erika will be taking one of those spots." The audience boos. She hugs Elise. Crazy. Skylar is safe, and Shannon goes to the stools of doom. <br /><br />Phillip, Jeremy, DeAndre, and Joshua are called up for results. Joshua is first. I don't think people are going to "get" him, but I like him. Jimmy says he's very good, but he's concerned people will get bored of his voice. We see DeAndre's clip. He doesn't know what Jamaican patoi is! Jimmy says DeAndre was a pleasant surprise. "It worked for him." PP is up. He says he did not go to the hospital, but did go to the doctor. Jimmy says PP is a great musician. He is a little nervous that the girls have a lot of vocal fireworks and that might get him. Still pushing a female winner, eh Jimmy? Of Jeremy, Jimmy says he did not deliver and all the girls out-performed him. "I think Jeremy will go." And so do I.<br /><br />Randy doesn't agree with all of Jimmy's comments. I think Jimmy should be a judge. <br />Phillip is safe (OMG, how shocking). Jeremy is not. Off you go to the stools of doom, Jeremy. "DeAndre, you are going to have to endure the stress of the competition for one more week." Joshua sits with the bottom six. Ryan walks over to the stools and says we will have to wait to find out who is safe... like Erika and Joshua. They both kind of look at him for a sec... what did you just say? "You are safe, run to the couches." And run they do. The pride of Rhody lasts another week! <br /><br />Remember the days of the 30-minute results show? If only...<br /><br />Mary J. performs her latest single, "Why." <br /><br />If the bottom two is going to "sing for their lives," we'd better get a move on. <br /><br />We return from the break with seven minutes to go. The bottom four are with Ryan center stage. Ryan asks Steven if any of them deserve to leave. He says, "Jeremy." The audience boos. Jeremy says this stinks. You're going home dude. <br /><br />The lights dim. Ryan calls Jermaine's name, walks over to him, and says, "safe" in a low voice. The girl who is safe for another week is... Shannon. Ryan asks Randy if America got it right. He says they didn't get it exactly right, but sorta. The judges will deliberate (for about 15 seconds) over the break. Gotta be Jeremy. <br /><br />I kinda like the J'Lo Kohl's rainbow-ish silky top. <br /><br />Quick break. We are ready for the results. J'Lo announces the decision. "With the two we've been presented with by America, we've come to the decision that we're going to save Elise." End of the road for Jeremy. <br /><br />We watch Jeremy's funeral package set to Scotty McCreary's "Remember Me." Not much of a video package. Poor Jeremy won't even make the tour. He's trying to hold back tears. He says it's been awesome. The remaining 12 embrace Jeremy. And I eagerly switch over to 'Project Runway.'<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/pA3a9jBHCk4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-idol-11-top-13-results-show.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-27921441848041901422012-03-07T19:28:00.000-08:002012-03-07T19:28:21.828-08:00'American Idol 11' - Top 13 sing Stevie and Whitney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/grouphappy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://3888.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/grouphappy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The countdown to the finale begins tonight at the Top 13 sing music by Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston. Not much to say about this! I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be.<br /><br />Cold opening with Ryan walking through a line of the contestants and greeting the judges. Seriously, J'Lo, what's with those pants?<br /><br />Voiceover man intros the judges. Steven is wearing pants with a woman's face on them. Once again, Ryan is in a vested suit with no tie. Is this some kind of new trend?<br /><br />Ryan tells us it's the 400th episode of 'Idol.' He intros the girls. The styolist from hell is hard at work once again, I see. The boys come out. People are waving signs already. Ryan reminds us that one of these individuals will be the next American Idol.<br /><br />This week, it's boys against girls. The girls sing Whitney, the boys Stevie. Thursday, the bottom boy and bottom girl will be called out and the judges get to decide who goes home.<br /><br /><b>Joshua Ledet - "I Wish"</b><br /><br />Mary J. Blige is working with Jimmy Iovine tonight. Poor Josh is in the death spot. He stays on key and manages to move around the stage cleanly. He's got a horn section on stage with him. Josh really has not problem with this song. He's got great energy and a nice gospel twang. I think he did well.<br /><br />Randy says Joshua blew it out and loved that he "came out rockin'" "Flawless, dude." J'Lo isn't going to punch Joshua tonight. She says she felt him and liked his hand thing, which Joshua calls his "Mantasia." Steven says J'Lo wants to punch Joshua in the arm because he keeps bringing it. Joshua is excited.<br /><br /><b>Elise Testone - "I'm Your Baby Tonight"</b><br /><br />Elise started out with "The Greatest Love of All," but Jimmy suggested "I'm Your Baby Tonight." Elise doesn't know the song. She's singing with somewhat of a jazz vibe. She reminds me of Haley from last season. I'm not loving this arrangement at all. It feels very choppy and doesn't really allow her vocals any real flow. If she crashes and burns, it'll be Jimmy's fault for not letting her sing her first choice.<br /><br />J'Lo doesn't think this was Elise's best. She wonders what happened. Steven says Elise has to find the just right song and he missed this tonight. Randy says this wasn't Elise's best performance. Randy says it sounded like she was "boxing" with the song. Elise says she didn't know the song at all and says if she had known it for a month, she could have relaxed and made it her own.<br /><br /><b>Jermaine Jones - "Knocks Me Off My Feet"</b><br /><br />Mary J says she's feelin' it and offers Jermaine some decent criticsm. Jimmy loves the timbre of Jermaine's voice. Mary J says his voice is gigantic. Jimmy is thrilled the judges brought him back. Jermaine pretty much owns this song. His voice is so rich. It's cool he chose a lesser-known Stevie song too, because then there's no comparison. I'm telling you, this guy has a great voice. He also has the bubble backdrop.<br /><br />Steven says this song fit Jermaine like an Armani suit. J'Lo says he is such a sweetheart. She wants to see him connect more with the song and sing it to someone. She wants him to relax and forget about his face. Randy says Jimmy's right. He loves Jermaine being in this. He loved the verses, but didn't like the chorus. The audience boos. He reiterates that Jermaine needs to relax. Jermaine says he felt pretty good about what he did. Then I sit back and marvel at how tall this guy is!<br /><br /><b>Erika Van Pelt - "I Believe in You and Me"</b><br /><br />Erika's wearing a red gown. She gets a sit-down with Ryan. Mary J. loves Erika's tone (calls it "steak and potatoes"). Jimmy says she'll be just fine if she does her own style. Erika starts out very low, and she does change it up to suit her vocal range. She connects with the lyrics and sells this fairly convincingly. Go Rhodey!!! I think she did very well.<br /><br />Randy says J'Lo said she got "goosies" watching the video. He was sold. "Let yourself go." J'Lo loves the way Erika interprets the songs and the tone. She feels Erika is holding back a little. She can't wait til Erika lets loose. Steven feels the same way. "It was perfect. I think you're great."<br /><br /><b>Colton Dixon - "Lately"</b><br /><br />Jimmy and Mary J. weren't feeling Colton, so they had him play a song of his own. He bellows out something, which they say they love. "Rely on your vulnerability," Jimmy suggests. Colton gets the strange moving tile background. It's an odd song for him, but he does seem to get some of the emotion. He sounds like Barry Manilow to me. He starts out a little rough, but by the end, he seems to get it together and pulls it off.<br /><br />Steven says it was outstanding. J'Lo says Colton probably was the most challenged by this theme. Randy says it wasn't picture perfect technically. But, by the end, Randy says, he was flawless. "You slayed it. Dude, well done."<br /><br /><b>Shannon Magrane - "I Have Nothing"</b><br /><br />Mary J tells her not to think so much. Shannon gets the Whitney arrangement. Her vocals are somewhat overwhelmed by the band early on. If Simon were here, he would call this karaoke. Oh, man, she clomps over a couple of notes in the end. This is not only karaoke, it's bad karaoke.<br /><br />J'Lo says the thinking got the best of her. She tells her there's no rush or big notes - nothing she has to think about. Steven says her nerves go the best of her. He points out she crashed and burned in the turn around. She says she can sing her butt off in that song. Randy says they know she can sing that song, but her nerves got the best of her. He uses the derailing word. Oh boy. End of the road for Shannon? Possibly.<br /><br /><b>DeAndre Brackensick - "Master Blaster"</b><br /><br />DeAndre has a sitdown with Ryan. We see some weepy footage from last week. DeAndre is mortified! Mary J and Jimmy encourage him to have some fun. Jimmy says he has to sing in perfect rhythm. And DeAndre gets to start off on the Adam Lambert memorial staircase, which has been colored Jamaican colors. DeAndre is definitely into this and reggaes it up to within an inch of its life. His performance reminiscent of Naima, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. He bringing some positive energy to this performance at least.<br /><br />Steven says DeAndre has the male Naima in him! Hey, that's what I said. "I've always loved it and I liked it tonight," Steven continues. J'Lo says he loved what he did with the song. She says he has rhythm and soul. "I liked it a lot." Randy says he and Josh showed two different sides of themselves. "We didn't want it to stop. That's how good it was. You showed America both sides. Job well done." I think he'll sail through on the girlie vote.<br /><br /><b>Skylar Laine - "Where do Broken Hearts Go"</b><br /><br />She says she's never sung Whitney. Mary J advises her to soften up the opener, rather that hitting all the big notes early on. She gives MJ goosebumps. I'd almost rather hear someone sing a completely different arrangement than try to do it Whitney's way. This girl sometimes sounds garbled. Maybe it's the accent. She nails the chorus, though. I don't particularly like her voice, but she's good technically. And she definitely nails this performance.<br /><br />J'Lo says Skylar is the picture of composure. She says Skylar was nasally in the beginning, but brought it in the end. Steven says it was beautiful. "That was fantastic." Randy says the front of the song was a little iffy, but by the end, it was great. He says she just proved she could sing any song. "That was hot." Why do they dress this girl in angular clothing that seems to emphasize her hips?<br /><br />Looking more and more like Jessica is closing this out and my bet's on "I Will Always Love You."<br /><br /><b>Heejun Hun - "All is Fair"</b><br /><br />Heejun has a chance to show off some of his very own PhotoChops, including one where DeAndre's on a plate and he's eating him like noodles. He brought Jimmy a picture of himself. "I Love You Jimmy!" To Mary, he writes, "I love you more than Jimmy." Heejun starts out very softly with just the piano. He looks scared to death. He's off-key and the arrangement is bor-ring. Another karaoke performance. He's such a love, though, I hate to say anything negative about him.<br /><br />J'Lo says she loves him and always has. Heejun wonders why he didn't get a hug from her last week. Steven says it was fantasitc. He loves his voice. Randy says, "It wasn't perfrct, but it was really good." At the end, he hugs Ryan and bows to the audience.<br /><br /><b>Hollie Cavanaugh - "All the Man That I Need"</b><br /><br />Mary J tells her to relax and be comfortable. Is Hollie British? Mary J. says, "Your voice is sick." Hollie gets the candlelit stage. Hollie has the vocal depth to do this one, but not the maturity. Again, it's a bit karaoke, but not as bad as Shannon. This girl does surprise me. I never would have expected her to be able to sing like this, karaoke or not. Baffling.<br /><br />Randy says Hollie loves taking on big songs. "Dude, you nailed it." J'Lo says this is the Hollie they loved last year and this year. "We just might have a sing-off with two girls in the finals." She stops just short of endorsing Hollie for the win. Steven has nothing much more to add.<br /><br /><b>Jeremy Rosado - "Ribbon in the Sky"</b><br /><br />Jimmy says Jeremy is vulnerable and has a lot to prove. And he does. "If you deliver it, you're gonna crush everyone," says Jimmy. Jeremy starts out really rough, but you can almost see when he gets into the groove. His phrasing is very choppy and his enunciation on "ribbon in the sky" is odd. I really don't get why they kept him. Reed would have been so much more entertaining.<br /><br />J'Lo is smiling from ear to ear. Steven calls his voice "velvety." J'Lo says she loves to hear his interpretations of song. "That was really, really beautiful." Randy puts a damper on the love fest and says it wasn't quite believable - not enough sway. Thank you Randy.<br /><br /><b>Jessica Sanchez - "I Will Always Love You"</b><br /><br />Jessica acknowledges this is a huge risk. Jimmy says Jessica nailed it. Mary says it was impeccable. Jessica's version is a bit softer. She actually sounds like Jennifer Hudson. She nails the money note and knows it. In ten seasons of 'Idol' I can honestly say I've never heard anyone sing this better. Outstanding. The judges give her a standing ovation.<br /><br />Randy says "Jessica Sanchez is legit." He says shes' one of the best singers in the whole competition. He says Jessica is one of the best talents in the whole country. J'Lo is speechless. "It was beautiful, Jessica, you're so talented." Steven says, "Jessica, you just may be the one. You just made 40 million people cry." The official anointing of Jessica Sanchez has begun.<br /><br />But she doesn't close the show... nope, I seemed to have forgotten all about Phillip Phillips.<br /><br /><b>Phillip Phillips - "Superstition"</b><br /><br />PP does his thing and Jimmy and Mary love him. He's onstage4 with two other guys with guitars. It's what we've come to expect from PP, but a little jazzier. I hear a tiny bit of Jim Morrison in his voice. Really? Yes, really. He jams with the other two dudes. He seems like such a bumpkin, but he's actually interesting.<br /><br />Steven likes him (of course) and J'Lo comments on his interpretations of songs. Randy says PP "drives his own car in his own lane." He loves it.<br /><br /><b>Best and worst</b><br /><br />Best guys for me - Joshua, Phillip, Jermaine. Best girls - Jessica, Hollie, and Erika. Middle of the pack, Skylar, Phillip, DeAndre. Bottom - Shannon, Heejun, Jeremy, and Elise. Bottom two? Shannon and Jeremy? Might be Josh or Jermaine, but I think Shannon is toast.<br /><br />No hints as to Thursday's guest performers. I'm guessing Mary J. will sing and maybe we'll get a surprise visit from Stevie? Show starts at 8 p.m., and blessedly, is only an hour this week!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/w6pynULXAdY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-idol-11-top-13-sing-stevie-and.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-4918655155661721632012-03-04T11:14:00.002-08:002012-03-04T11:19:36.939-08:00'American Idol 11' - And the winner is...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.poptower.com/pic-79556/phillip-phillips-american-idol.jpg?d=600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://img.poptower.com/pic-79556/phillip-phillips-american-idol.jpg?d=600" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will Phillip Phillips be the fifth WGWG to win 'Idol?'</td></tr></tbody></table><br />This week, the Top 13 perform the music of Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston. Interesting in that in previous seasons, contestants have been warned to stay away from songs from these two icons in that they are almost impossible to perform without coming off as karaoke. Of course, 'Idol' is framing this as a tribute to the late Ms. Houston, while potentially boosting ratings. Gee, what better way to honor an iconic vocalist than to allow singers to butcher her classic tunes on national TV!<br /><br />No matter. If the past four seasons are any indication, the rest of this season may only be a preamble to the coronation of the fifth white guy with a guitar (WGWG), Phillip Phillips.What, you say? Isn't it too early to make such a rash prediction? <br /><br />Anything can happen, of course, and quite honestly, I'd be happy to be wrong, but facts are facts. A female hasn't won since Season 6 when Jordin Sparks took the crown. And how did that happen? Well, Jordin ran virtually unopposed against Blake Lewis. Jordin was young and appealing, and her only competition, Melinda Doolittle, got knocked out in the third round. Blake was irreverent and his bee-bop schtick had long worn thin. By the end of the competition, he was calling in his performances and his finale performance of "This is my Now" was one of the most delightfully horrible finale performances ever! He could not win after that!<br /><br />The WGWG winning streak began with Season 7. David Cook, perhaps the best of the WGWG, was a breath of fresh air in the 'Idol' karaoke wonderland. His taking classic tunes and twisting them up was inventive, and he struck a chord with viewers. He was a nice guy with a cool, indie vibe and his win was well-deserved.<br /><br />Kris Allen followed, and although he was almost completely overshadowed by Adam Lambert, in the end Adam was just too out there for mainstream America. Lee DeWyze (who?) took the Season 9 title from Crystal Bowersox because he was male. There's really no other reason I can think of to explain his win!<br /><br />Last season, two country singers, Scotty McCreary and Lauren Alaina, made it to the finals. Scotty was the frontrunner all season and was better than Lauren. Plus he's a guy. And, while some may argue he does not fit the WGWG profile, he's white and he plays a guitar. End of argument!<br /><br />Phillips is the perfect successor, and actually, may well be the best guitarist and most interesting of&nbsp; the lot. And, even though he's not a country artist, he's from the South and that fact will certainly bring votes his way no matter what he sings. He's got all the qualifications. <br /><br />Consider the competition. This season, there are four R&amp;B singers in the mix (Joshua, Jermaine, Jeremy, and DeAndre).&nbsp; Of the four, the most impressive vocalist is Jermaine, but as we've learned, 'Idol' voters are more concerned with how "cute" the guy is than how well he sings. At six-foot eight inches tall and 280 pounds, Jermaine cannot conceivably be considered "cute!" Nope, the audience seems to love DeAndre and Jeremy has stolen the hearts of the judges, J'Lo especially. Joshua and Jermaine will most certainly fall in the early rounds, and one of the other two will make Top 6 at least.<br /><br />What's ironic is that young, black male artists are what's hot in popular music today, yet only one black male has ever won the show (Reuben Studdard, Season 2) and only a couple (George Huff and Michael Lynche) have made it out of the basement. There have been any number of black female contestants who have done well in the competition, but 'Idol' viewers have never embraced a good R&amp;B male singer. Other shows ('The Voice' and 'X-Factor') have not ignored this demographic, but but 'Idol' seems bent on finding the next Bieber rather than nurturing someone who could be a legitimate force in the music biz. There are probably any number of reasons for this, but I'm not going there! <br /><br />So who's left? Colton? I think he will appeal to the Lambert set, and may well end up challenging PP for the title, giving us a repeat of Season 9. Heejun? Much as I love him, and I truly do, he is the weakest of all the male vocalists, and I think his self-deprecating humor will eventually become tedious. But, because he's gotten so much air time, he'll be around a lot longer than he deserves to be, and will most likely last longer than Joshua or Jermaine. Top 7, I say.<br /><br />As for the women, Jessica Sanchez would be my bet for the top finishing female, coming in third. At this point, I think she's the only female who has even a chance at the Top 2. Skylar could beat her, though, just because she's the only pure country artist in the lot. And 'Idol' voters seem to love their Southern country artists.<br /><br />As for the rest, Hollie Cavanaugh is a good vocalist, but a rather boring personality. Elise could be a spoiler, but may be too polished and mature for 'Idol' viewers to relate to. I see Erika and Shannon eliminated this week.<br /><br />So what can we expect this week?&nbsp; PP will come up with some kind of inventive, indie-rock Stevie arrangement and the judges will fall over themselves to praise him,&nbsp; The R&amp;B quartet will do traditional arrangements (hope Jermaine sings "Sir Duke"). Heejun should be okay with this as well. I have no idea what Colton will do to Stevie! <br /><br />Elise and Jessica will be fine with Whitney, and I'm betting Skylar will sing the Dolly Parton version of "I Will Always Love You."&nbsp; I don't think Hollie has the vocal "umph" to do any justice to Whitney. And, while Shannon and Erika can pull off a Whitney song, I think they're both doomed no matter what they do!<br /><br />All of this is pure speculation, of course, which is all part of the 'Idol' game for those of us who continue to watch this show.&nbsp; As for me, I'm getting ready to do my 'Idol' poll picks for the season, so we'll see if I'm right!!!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/ikYcoa4L6TQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-idol-11-and-winner-is.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231173363937275984.post-11744442330417221512012-03-01T16:26:00.002-08:002012-03-01T19:37:49.223-08:00'American Idol 11' - Top 24 results show recap<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mtv.mtvnimages.com/shared/promoimages/news/a/american_idol/2012/sanchez_jessica_reportcard_030112/281x211.jpg?quality=0.85" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://mtv.mtvnimages.com/shared/promoimages/news/a/american_idol/2012/sanchez_jessica_reportcard_030112/281x211.jpg?quality=0.85" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will Jessica Sanchez make the Top 13?</td></tr></tbody></table>Looks like we're on the fast track to this season's Top 12 or 13 or whatever. Rather than having several semi-final rounds where contestants are weeded out a little less frenetically, this season, it's happening all in one night. Maybe the old tried and true formula just wasn't dynamic enough anymore given the spinning chairs of the competition and all.<br /><br />Anyway, from what I can glean from the Internet, tonight, the five guys and five girls with the highest vote count will get an automatic bye into the final group. Then, each judge will select his or her favorite to round out the Top 13. Sounds like a good way to ensure people like Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet who may not have appealed to the voting masses, but who are probably the best singers in the lot, will make it through. I like it.<br /><br />I've read several different spoilers, and it they are true, the results will be somewhat disconcerting. You can be sure the Season 11 "White Guy With a Guitar," Phillip Phillips, will make it through!<br /><br />How they are going to fill out two hours is a mystery to me, but I'll be watching so you don't have to!<br />&nbsp; <br />The show opens with clips of the various contestants and their auditions. DeAndre shows off a cake, Hollie doesn't know how she got there, Hallie comments on going from being a waitress to someone everyone knows. Well, not everyone.&nbsp; I can see how they're going to fill out the two hours. <br /><br />So much drama!<br /><br />Voiceover man welcomes the judges and Ryan. J'Lo is wearing a very short red sparkly number. Ryan, please give us the good word. The guys are sitting on the right side of the stage and the girls on the left. Ryan tells us over 33 million votes came in over the last two nights. We say hey to the guys and then the ladies. "The harsh reality is, half of those faces will be leaving our stage before the end of the evening." The audience boos.<br /><br />Ryan fills us in on the way this is going down and we get the chance to see the ten stools of victory where the those who have been chosen by America's votes will sit once they are safe. Ryan stresses that this is <i>America's </i>Top 10. Not Canada's, not England's, America's. In other words, you voted and this is what you got.&nbsp; I think it's important that I make this distinction just in case there's any confusion about just whose Top 10 it is. <br /><br />After the break, we start with the guys. Ryan calls Chase, Phillip and Jeremy. Chase says it's beyond belief how nervous they all are. Jeremy says he feels his heart beating outside his chest. First, we're going to have to watch the performances and then Jimmy Iovine will give us his take as only he can. Now Jimmy doesn't pull any punches, so this should be interesting!<br /><br />Jimmy does not like Jeremy.. He says Chase is a good looking guy, but there are plenty of them on TV right now., He says you have to be fresh and Chase is not. Jimmy would sign Phillip on the spot. <br /><br />Ryan asks Randy if he agrees with Jimmy that it takes more than good looks. J'Lo thinks Jeremy has the whole package (heh, she said package).&nbsp; Steven thinks Chase's voice came through - climbing out from the inside. "After the nationwide vote, Jeremy, you have not made the Top 10." Jeremy sits to await the judges decision. Chase is not in <i>America's </i>Top 10, but surprise, surprise, Phillip is. PP takes the first stool of victory. <br /><br />Ryan calls down Hollie, Hallie, Jessica, and Brielle.This is going to take forever.<br /><br />Jimmy thinks Hollie could have been a little more believable, but given the right material, she could be a factor.<br /><br />He says Brielle has a lot of energy, but wonders why she picked "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay."&nbsp; JAs for Hollie, Jimmy says this was her best show so far. "Lot of blondes on this show, not sure who America is going to vote for, though. It might not be her." And then there's Jessica. Jimmy says he would sign her on the spot tonight and calls her the winner. Seriously. That's what I said. <br /><br />So what did America think?&nbsp; Brielle still stands by her song choice. She says she'd tell Jimmy she's respectful and loves him. J'Lo says Hallie had a good performance, but doesn't think it was a standout. <br /><br />Brielle is not in the Top 10. Phew. Two have made it. Hallie did not. And so two of my favorites, Hollie and Jessica are in it to win it. Yay!!! America, you got it right!<br /><br />Back from the break. We see Phillip, Hollie and Jessica, <i>America's </i>Top 3, on the stools of victory. More results. Ryan brings down Joshua, Heejun, and Adam. He asks Adam about the intensity of all of it. He says his feelings keep neutralizing each other. "We all love each other so much. It's a blast."<br /><br />Joshua, oh Joshua. Jimmy says he's the real deal. "He sang great on the show and there's no question he's going to get through." He doesn't want to turn it into 'Sister Act 3.'&nbsp; As for Adam, Jimmy wonders about the large black woman and doesn't think he's pulling it off. And then we have Heejun. Dear, sweet Heejun. Jimmy is confused by Heejun. "This isn't American Comedian, it's American Idol," he says. Heh!<br /><br />Heejun says "Who's that" when asked about Jimmy's comment about the comedian. Joshua says singing in church taught him to sing from his soul. Adam says he wishes he could pull back his comment about the large black woman. "After the nationwide vote," Ryan says and then whispers in Joshua's ear, "Joshua, you are in the top 10!!!"&nbsp; And Heejun is also in <i>America's </i>Top 10. He bows.<br /><br />Baylie, Chelsea, Skylar, and Shannon hit center stage. Skylar is up first. Jimmy thinks she did herself a great turn by picking this nice blend of country and rock. He says he would have voted for her. Then there is Baylie. Jimmy says she has all the pieces, but they didn't all come together.Of Chelsea, Jimmy says she has a really nice voice, but "Carrie Underwood karaoke isn't going to fly." I love Jimmy.&nbsp; And finally Shannon. Jimmy likes Shannon, but thought she was dressed more for the prom than a live performance. "She needs help in the styling department." Seriously.<br /><br />Shannon is crying. She says she's gone through so much and doesn't want it to end. J'Lo looks pensive. Baylie says if she could have changed anything, she would have sung on key and not be so shaky. That's kind of the point, Baylie. What is Skylar wearing anyway?&nbsp; She says she loves that song and the people in the audience were getting into it. She knows what kind of artist she wants to be and it shows.<br /><br />"After the nationwide vote, let's start with you, Shannon. Congratulations, you've made it through." Elise has a horrible face on! Ryan asks Randy if there's room in the competition for more than one country girl. He says one of them really stood out. And that was... Skylar Laine, who's joining <i>America's </i>Top 10.<br /><br />We go to break. An hour and fifteen minutes left. This is excruciating. <br /><br />We see <i>America's </i>Top 7. Ryan brings down Aaron, Creighton, and Reed. Oooooo. Reed, I think. We start with Reed. I wonder if he's going to play the drums every week? Jimmy says he's real talented. "Way too kitschy for me. Not going to make it like that."&nbsp; Aaron is next. Jimmy is confused by the standing ovation. He calls it cheesy and a bit "Don Cheadle."&nbsp; And Creighton... Jimmy says he has an interesting voice, but the top end is screechy. "Judges loved him. I didn't." <br /><br />J'Lo thinks Jimmy should come to the show. She thinks what he hears in his "little room" is different. She wants to punch him. Randy says they were too lenient on the boys and thinks Jimmy has some points. Steven curses. J'Lo doesn't think Jimmy's being too critical, but she wouldn't say them the same way. Randy loves Don Cheadle. Steve thinks Reed is good because he shows off everything he can do. J'Lo thinks there's room for all kinds of artist. <br /><br />Dim the lights. Aaron does not make it. The audience boos. He returns to the couches. Creighton has not made it either. They hug. And neither is Reed. The audience is ready to rebel. Wow. <br /><br />Elise (who is wearing a ridiculous hat), Erika (in a hideous, short purple dress), Haley, and Jen are next. We start with Jen. Jimmy says Jen has a really nice voice, but he advises everyone to stay away from Adele. Erika, my Rhode Island home girl is next. She really has a great voice. Jimmy likes her a lot. "She has music in her blood." He likes her restraint. Then there is Haley. Ouch. We see her crying back stage after Randy's comments. Jimmy says what he can't get around is robotic mimicking. He agrees with Randy. We finish with Elise. Jimmy agrees with the judges and wants to hear her sing her own material. He thinks she needs to hold back a bit to hold on to her voice. <br /><br />J'Lo says she wants everyone to do their best every time. Elise says she's really distracted and is sad about some people leaving. Then we get to Haley. She says she has no regrets. She felt she did her best and makes all kinds of excuses. If that was her best, I would hate to see her worst!<br /><br />Dim the lights. After the nationwide vote... Haley does not make it. Oh there's a shocker. Erika does not make it either. J'Lo shakes her head. Elise and Jen are left and only one spot. "After the nationwide vote, that lady is... Elise."<br /><br />Now, back to the guys. DeAndre, Eben (the girlies scream), Colton, and Jermaine. He is huge! They are all really nervous. Ryan fakes us out. As if we weren't going to have to endure the clips and Jimmy's wise words.Go Jimmy! <br /><br />I realize this recap is boring as all get out, but trust me, the show itself is worse. <br /><br />Okay, one more round. Ryan reminds us, again in case we've lost our minds during all of this, that the people in the stools of victory are America's Top 10. That's <i>America's</i> Top 10. He asks the judges what they think about all of this. J'Lo says she hates to see some people go home, but she agrees with America on who has been put through. She thinks we have one hell of a competition. Steven wishes he could give some people another chance. He agrees with America. Randy says America is on fire. He thinks any one of these people could win it all. We rock, America.<br /><br />Jermaine starts us off. I love Jermaine <i>and</i> his mother! He won't make it, of course. Jimmy says he could listen to an entire album of Jermaine's songs. He's rooting for Jermaine. DeAndre gets his shot. He <i>is </i>commercial. Jimmy thinks DeAndre has enormous potential, but needs a coach. Then there's Eben. I'm betting he makes it. Jimmy doesn't think Eben is ready for prime time. He'd like to see him come back, but he can't come back because of the rules. X-Factor is holding auditions soon, Eben. And Colton. This is a tough group. Jimmy thinks Colton is one of the most talented kids on the show. He thinks if he paces himself, Colton could win the show. <br /><br />Colton says, "Wow." Eben says he loves the song and felt good about his performance. He kisses up to the judges and says he'll step it up if he gets through. Dim the lights. DeAndre does not make it. The audience boos. He flips his hair. Ryan "Colton, you are not... going to be disappointed." Good fakeout Ryan. <br /><br />It's down to Eben and Jermaine. "After the nationwide vote, the person in <i>America's </i>Top 10 is... Jermaine." Alright! I did not see that coming. <br /><br />We have 45 minutes left, and it seems, now we must endure performances from six contestants who will sing for survival. I wonder if they'll call them up one by one and leave them all hanging.<br /><br />Fifteen people are eligible to sing now. Randy gets to pick first and it's Jen Hirsch. She doesn't think her song went wrong, but she didn't stand out enough.<br /><br />Jen is singing "Oh Darlin'" Reed is getting into the groove. She squats too much. But she is selling herself with this one. Oh yeah. Wish you'd sung like this last night, sweetie. You'd be sitting in the stools of victory right now. <br /><br />Randy says they like it when they sing for their life. He says Jen showed the reason she's here. "We'll have to see how the others fare." J'Lo says Jen really did sing for her life. Steven says he loves someone with a big voice. He loves where she went at the end. Five more songs to go. <br /><br />Who's next?&nbsp; J'Lo tells us they have chosen Jeremy. He's singing Carrie Underwood's "I Know You Would."&nbsp; Skylar is singing along. He sings the stuffing out of it. J'Lo looks like she's going to cry. The contestants stand for him. He starts to cry at the end. <br /><br />Jeremy says this is his dream and promises the judges won't regret it. He thanks the Lord. J'Lo is beside herself. She says she believes in him and he has one of he most beautiful voices he's heard. Randy says Jeremy is such a cool guy and he loves him. "I loved what you just did up there." Steven says we just saw the real. That was real.<br /><br />Steven calls up Brielle. I shout, "No, no, no." She's singing Adele's "Someone Like You." Didn't you hear Jimmy? No more Adele. Mom is howling in the audience. But Brielle's still pitchy and screechy. Not good. <br /><br />Steven says she was pitchy in some spots. "I just didn't hear it." Randy doesn't think it was great either. J'Lo says she should be proud of that effort. Judges, you wasted a pick. Of course, they've probably already decided on Jen. Hey, maybe they'll bring back Haley!<br /><br />DeAndre gets a second chance. He's singing "Georgia." This kid has some range. I like him a lot. Kiddo, I think you just bought yourself a seat in the Judge's Top 3.<br /><br />Randy says, "Yo, nice way to come out." He loves this fight for their lives. "Bringing out greatness in all of them." J'Lo says he should sing like that every time he gets up there. Steven loves his voice. <br /><br />Now it's Erika (I called it before J'Lo said it). Rho, Rho, Rhode Island!&nbsp; She's singing "Edge of Glory." And she rips it up. Haley has an awesome b....h face going on!&nbsp; Erika is killing this. Seriously. Eben looks like he is praying.&nbsp; You go girl! Better than Jen. <br /><br />She gets a standing ovation from the audience. Well deserved. Randy is saying "This girl has got to have it." J'Lo says she loves someone who can fight through the tears. Steven says, "We're living on the edge."<br /><br />Who will be the last person to get their shot? I'm calling it for Reed. <br /><br />Fifteen minutes to go. One more singer. Then we'll send home the couch potatoes and drag out the naming of the wildcards.<br /><br />The seating is quite complicated this year. We have the <i>America's </i>Top 10 stools of victory, the six wannabe stools, and the couches of doom and sadness. <br /><br />Steven names Reed Grimm. That means the for the rest of them, the journey ends. Goodbye Adam with the large black woman inside, no more baby Eben... they march off the stage to obscurity. Reed takes off his shirt. He's singing "Use Me" by Bill Withers.&nbsp; He's such a happy guy.&nbsp; <i>America's </i>Top 10 dance. Reed crouches and jumps and scats. Heejun gives us a sign. Reed finishes strong, but I think DeAndre was better. Steven says he loves the artist in Reed. <br /><br />So, who's it gonna be?&nbsp; I'm going with Erika, DeAndre, and Reed. <br /><br />Oh boy. Ryan tells us this is one of the most tense moments so far this season. <i>America's </i>Top 10 get another shout out. <br /><br />Randy is first. The first wildcard pick is my home girl, Erika!&nbsp; Alright! J'Lo picks Jeremy. He falls on his knees and cries. He wants to go hug J'Lo. Ryan tries to hold him back, but that's not happening. It's very emotional. He hugs all the judges. I love live TV!<br /><br />Who gets the last stool? DeAndre! He cries too. We say goodbye Jen, Reed, and Brielle. Ryan tells them they can leave the runway.<br /><br />Ryan has&nbsp;<i>America's </i>Top 10 and the Judges Top 3 stand up and tells us our next American Idol is standing on that stage. <br /><br />And it's a wrap.<br /><br />Next week, the boys sing Stevie Wonder and the girls Whitney Houston. Now that'll bring us back to reality.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/VqXZV/~4/yaYRAvR2tTw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Donna Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17527375629167685682noreply@blogger.com0http://foxydonnaonidol.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-idol-11-top-24-results-show.html